


You Saved Me

by qtp2t



Series: Saved [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Can't decide if should be rated M or E, Disney World, Eating/food issues, F/F, F/M, Family is awesome, Kurtbastian Endgame, M/M, Minor Character Death/Suicide, More intense D/s in later chapters., New York, Not Blaine Friendly, Panic Attacks, Penthouse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rating will change by chapter, attempted rape/violence - Freeform, chapters get longer as they go, mention on relatives death, nothing crazy, some slight d/s, stalker issues, trial
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2019-10-21 19:32:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 55
Words: 309,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17648591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/qtp2t/pseuds/qtp2t
Summary: Kurt is finally headed back to McKinley for his senior year, to be surrounded by his close friends.  He had been at Dalton most of his Junior year because of Karofsky.  Kurt is dating Blaine, but things quickly fall apart in a big way.Sebastian has just moved back to Ohio from France.  He comes across as cocky sometimes, but those who really know him see his heart of gold.  He is starting his senior year at Dalton, but meets Kurt at Lima Bean due to some strange circumstances.Sebastian saves Kurt on a number of occasions, but truth be told, Kurt saves Sebastian as well.Sebastian and Kurt fall in love.  Will their love be strong enough to make it through challenge after challenge?This story is about love, strength, friendship, and family.





	1. Nice To Meet You

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter one is all about how Kurt and Sebastian meet. Some prompts from the show, but mostly not. I do not own Glee of the characters.  
> Italic font is Sebastian's thoughts.  
> PLEASE leave Kudos and comments! This is my first fan fiction! Also, keep checking back with this story, or bookmark it. I will be adding chapters often!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt meets Sebastian

 

 

On Saturday morning Sebastian sat in the back corner of the Lima Bean drinking his coffee with his ear buds in as he looked at pictures on his phone.  He was deep in thought about the previous week. It had been the first week of school and his life at Dalton Academy was going better than he had expected.  He hated that he had to spend his senior year in a new school, and practically a new country, since he had spent the last three years in France. However, he actually liked his roommate, Nick, and Nick’s boyfriend, Jeff. The Warblers seemed pretty great so far, and classes seemed like they were going to be fairly easy compared to the classes in France.

He was thinking about to getting up to head home to spend some time with his sister, Leah.  She was leaving the next week for freshman year of high school at Oldenberg Academy, a boarding school for girls in Indiana. He was actually going to miss his little sister.  They had become close while away in France. He worried about her being away from him. He was quite protective. He was, however, glad there were no boys at her school. She’s beautiful, and he knows he’s going to have to beat the boys away with a stick someday soon.

Sebastian's thoughts were interrupted by a group of five guys laughing and carrying on as they made their way into the coffee shop.   _That’s some nice eye candy_ , Sebastian thought, _Maybe I should stick around for a few more minutes._ He took out his ear buds as they sat several tables away from him in front of the large windows of the coffee shop.  He knew he shouldn’t eavesdrop, but this was such a hot looking group of guys, he just couldn’t help it.

Kurt, Finn, Puck, Sam, and Mike came tumbling into Lima Bean.  They were laughing and enjoying their time together - happy to be back to hanging out after summer.  Their summer had been filled with different time consuming activities for each of them… Jobs, camps, internships, etc., making it difficult to see each other often.  It made them extra grateful to be together again. Puck and Sam sat on either side of Kurt with their backs to the window, and Finn and Mike sat across from them.

Puck put his arm around Kurt, “So, Princess, are you happy to be coming back to McKinley?”  Puck had missed his friend while he was away at Dalton.

Kurt smiled as he looked at Puck with one eyebrow cocked, “Yes, Noah.  Now take your arm off of me. Unless my gaydar is completely broken, which sometimes with you I think it might be, you were totally straight when I left McKinley.”   

“Oh, but Princess, I’d make an exception for you.  That is one fine ass you have. You know you want some Puckzilla!”  Puck flexed and everyone just laughed, including Finn as he said, “Dude!  That’s my brother!”

Sam smiled fondly at Kurt, “Seriously, Kurt, we’re glad your back.  It wasn’t the same without you. We missed you. And now you won't have to worry about Karofsky, since he transferred to Carmel High.”

“And if anyone else gives you any shit at all, you let us know.  Things won’t go back to the way they were. We won’t let it.” Finn added, as all of the guys agreed.  Kurt smiled and nodded at them gratefully.

Mike added “Now, how can we convince you to rejoin the football team? Jackson moved away, so we need a kicker.  We all know you were the best.” 

Kurt smiled sheepishly and said, “Well boys, as fine as my ass looks in those football pants,”  He turned and winked at Puck, “I don’t think football is for me. I’m actually thinking of rejoining the Cheerios.  Coach stopped me in the hallway yesterday and practically begged me to come back. It would look good on my college applications, so may take her up on it.”

Sebastian couldn’t get over what he was hearing.  This was a hot gay guy in the middle of Ohio who had four straight football players surrounding him who obviously admired and respected him.  Last Sebastian heard, Ohio wasn’t exactly the best place to be out and proud.  Not if you’re not in the city anyway. _Wait...they said he played football?  And what is a Cheerio…?_

Sebastian was shaken from thoughts as the group got up to leave.  “I’m going to stay and get some reading done. I’ll see you guys later.”  Kurt said as the others all got up and said their goodbyes.

 _This could be my shot.  Maybe I should go introduce myself_ , Sebastian thought. But as soon as he started to gather his things to get up to approach Kurt, he paused as he realized something was different.  Kurt was looking toward the door as someone entered a couple of minutes after his friends had left. Kurt looked…. Scared? Distressed? Worried?... Sebastian wasn’t quite sure, but he knew whatever it was, the look on Kurt’s face bothered him to his core.  

Before he could process what to do next, Kurt was out of his seat and walking toward him. _Is he going past me to the bathroom?  Is he sick? Is he approaching ME?_  Sebastian wondered.  

“Kurt!”  A deep voice said quickly.  “Kurt! Stop!” Sebastian's head snapped up to look at the guy.  He was large and intrusive. The look in his eye was determined as he zeroed in on Kurt.

Sebastian looked over to Kurt instantly. He seemed to hesitate for a second.  A deep fear flashed in his eyes and then for a split second he closed them, almost as if he was willing himself to keep walking.  As Kurt moved quickly between the tables toward the restrooms, he suddenly noticed Sebastian. When their eyes met, Sebastian felt a jolt to his heart.   _What was THAT feeling?_ Kurt looked at him with pleading eyes as he approached.  He whispered, “Can I join you?  Please?”

Without hesitation, Sebastian sat up straight, saying, “Absolutely!  Are you okay?”

Seconds later, before Kurt could answer, the large guy was by their side.  “K-Karofsky” Kurt stuttered. _Karofsky?  Karofsky as in the guy they said had transferred.  Kurt looks terrified!_ “What do you want?” Kurt said breathlessly.   

Karofsky looked at Sebastian with question, “Who’s this?  This your boyfriend from Dalton, Kurt?” 

Kurt looked at Sebastian with wide eyes.   _God, those eyes are even more gorgeous up close!_ Sebastian smiled his best smile, offered his hand for Karofsky to shake and said, “Hi, I’m Sebastian.  Kurt and I are just friends… for now.  And who might you be?” 

“Dave Karofsky”.  Dave then turned his attention back to Kurt.  “Look Kurt, I know you don’t want to talk to me, but I NEED to talk to you.  Can we go somewhere… I don’t know… private?”  Dave was fidgeting, and looked a bit nervous.

Kurt looked at Sebastian who subtly shook his head no.  He turned back to Karofsky and said, “Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of Sebastian, or not at all.”

Dave took a deep breath and sighed as he pulled up a chair from the table next to them, and turned it backwards, and sat with his chest leaning against the back of the chair.  “Okay. I guess that’s fair.” Looking at Kurt sincerely, he added, “Look, Kurt. I have had a lot of time to reflect on everything.  I just want you to know that I’m really sorry for everything I put you through. I was scared. I didn’t know how to deal with my own feelings.  I wasn’t the person I thought I was, and that was terrifying. I took it out on you, because you are out and proud… Obviously not ashamed of who you are, like I was.  It really messed with my head, even though it shouldn’t have.  And it wasn’t fair to you in the slightest.  I’m really, really sorry.”

Kurt glanced at Sebastian, somehow drawing strength from his presence, before looking back to Dave.  “What made you come to this realization, David? You made my life hell. So much so that I had to transfer schools.  And now? You just, what, see the light?”

Dave blushed and replied, “I don’t know, actually.  I guess not having you at school kind of made a difference.  I realized that it wasn’t just you that made me question myself.  It was ME.  It was how I was feeling about my sexuality, with or without you there.  I’m not out and proud…” He pointedly looked at Sebastian trying to will him to keep his mouth shut.  Sebastian nodded that he understood. “But I’m getting there. I transferred to Carmel in hopes of a fresh start.  No one there knows anything about me. I just want to play football and then go to college next year. I don’t want to deal with anything else right now.” 

Kurt gave a small smile.  “You know, I would have never outed you, David.  I never said anything to anyone about that.” He sighed and added, “I hope everything works out for you at Carmel.  If you ever need or want to return to McKinley, I promise your secret is safe with me.” 

Dave smiled and nodded as he stood and returned his chair to his table.  “Thanks, Fancy.”

Kurt chuckled at the nickname, “Give me your phone.”  Dave handed Kurt his phone with a questioning look.  “If you need to talk about it, this is my number. Don’t hesitate to call.  But just a warning… The guys in glee are ready and willing kick your ass if you even look at me the wrong way.  Not to mention Santana and the girls.”

Dave smiled.  “Understood.” He waved shyly as he walked away.

Sebastian wasn’t sure what he just witnessed.  “Did you just forgive him for putting you through hell?”

Kurt smiled shyly, and said, “Yes, well, he was going through a hell of his own, I suppose.  I may forgive, but I don’t really forget….” He looked at Sebastian, really for the first time, since he was no longer in a fear-induced haze. His breath hitched when he really looked into Sebastian's green eyes.  He quickly looked down at coffee before looking back up. “I’m Kurt. Kurt Hummel.  Thanks so much for saving me just then.  I was afraid he was the Karofsky that he was a year ago.  That would not have been pretty.” 

“It was my pleasure.” Sebastian smirked.  “I’m Sebastian Smythe.  It’s nice to meet you.”  Kurt smiled. “So do I understand correctly that you went to Dalton Academy?  I’m a senior there this year.”

“Yes, I did.  I transferred there last fall when things with David got... intense.  I just transferred back to McKinley High for my senior year, though. My boyfriend is a Junior at Dalton.  You just started there though, right?  I think I would remember if you were there last year.”

Disappointed in the boyfriend comment, Sebastian smiled anyway at the thought that Kurt would remember him.  “Yes, my family just moved back to Ohio. My mother and sister and I lived in Paris for three years while my mother helped take care of her sister who had cancer.  My father stayed here due to his job.” Sebastian frowned a bit, “My aunt passed away over the summer. We moved back right away to be with my father again.”

“I’m so sorry.  My mother passed away from cancer.  I understand how devastating it can be.”  Kurt reached across the table and put his hand on Sebastian's.  It sent a jolt of electricity though both of their bodies. Kurt pulled his hand away immediately as he looked shyly down at his coffee.   

Sebastian cleared his throat, “Um, thanks.  I’m sorry about your mom. I can’t imagine how hard that is.”  He smiled a small encouraging smile little at Kurt. “So, are you and your father close?” 

Kurt beamed and replied, “Oh yes!  He’s the best.  He's loving and supportive.  He actually just became a member of Congress!” 

“Wait... Hummel? Your father is Burt Hummel?!  Oh my god, he’s like, my hero!” Sebastian sat up all excited at the realization.  “He’s such a strong advocate for gay rights. I can’t believe he’s your dad!”

Kurt laughed at Sebastian’s reaction.  “Well, I guess I’m the reason he’s such a strong advocate.  He’s seen my struggles, and wants to help in any way possible.  That, and he's a strong advocate for the arts, since music basically saved my life,”  Kurt’s phone rang.  He pulled it out and looked at. “Speak of the devil.  Excuse me for a second?” He looked at Sebastian apologetically. 

“Sure.”  Sebastian smiled as he watched Kurt walk a few tables away on his phone.  He couldn’t help but check out his ass. _Wow, he’s right.  His ass would look good in football pants!_

Kurt returned with a smile and told Sebastian he needed to head home.  He shyly added, “It was really nice meeting you. Thanks again for helping me earlier.  Good luck at Dalton. I’m sure you’ll love it there.”

 _God he’s adorable!_ “It was nice meeting you too.  Can I have your number?  It’s nice to make friends here in Ohio.” 

“Sure!  Hand me your phone.”  Sebastian smiled and handed him his phone.  Once Kurt handed it back, he quickly typed a text back so that Kurt would have his number as well.  “I’ll see ya around.  Bye, Sebastian.”  Kurt smiled and then walked away.

 _I_ _’m sooo screwed…_ _“_ Bye, Kurt”  Sebastian smirked.  

Before Kurt started his car to leave, he pulled out his phone to see what Sebastian had texted him.

 **From Sebastian:**  

Don’t forget me ;)

 


	2. So you've met?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt and Jeff go shopping. Sebastian discusses Kurt with Leah, as well as his roommate Nick and his boyfriend Jeff. Is there trouble in paradise? Is there anything Sebastian can do about it?

 

 

Sebastian thought about Kurt the entire drive home from Lima Bean.  He had so many questions about Kurt. He wanted to get to know him, but mostly wondered who Kurt’s boyfriend was. Kurt only briefly mentioned having a boyfriend, and he didn’t get a chance to ask about him.  It’s really no surprise that someone as good looking as Kurt would have a boyfriend. _Since when do you care, Smythe?_

When he arrived home, Leah was in her room packing up the last of things she wanted to take with her to school.  Sebastian smiled as she threw clothes all over her bed, “You know you’ll be wearing a uniform and don’t really need all of those clothes.”   

Leah hadn’t heard him come in and nearly jumped out of her skin.  “SEB!!! You scared me! Don’t do that! And I DO need all of these clothes.  I won’t be in class all of the time. And I need to look my best.” 

“To impress other girls?  You do like boys, right?” Sebastian smirked.

“Yes, I like boys.  You’re the only one in this house who wants to march in his own Pride parade.  Anyway, what took you so long to get back? I thought you were just checking out that Lima Bean place, and then you were coming right back.  Get distracted?” Leah smirked back at him. That smirk ran in the family.

Sebastian sighed.  “Yes, actually. I got very distracted.  I met someone.”

Leah raised an eyebrow, “Well, I would say I can’t wait to meet him, but we all know how that works.  I wish you would finally stop fooling around and get a boyfriend already. You’re a great catch, ya know.” 

“Well thanks?  And I don’t sleep around like everyone thinks I do.  I flirt. I mess around. But I don’t go sticking my dick in everything that moves, like you make it sound.” Sebastian sighed as he flopped down on Leah’s bed.  “I don’t know if I’m really boyfriend material, anyway. The guy I met today could definitely convert me though.” 

Leah’s eyes popped out of her head.  “Do tell!”

Sebastian smiled and started telling his sister all of the days events.  He couldn’t control the smile on his face. Yep. He was screwed.

……...

 

The following day Kurt was off to the mall to meet Jeff for some good ol’ fashioned retail therapy.  He could really use a little “Kurt&Jeff” time, since it had been awhile since they had seen each other.

“Kurtsie!”  Jeff yelled as he ran up to Kurt who was window shopping by the food court.  

“Hi Jeffie!  I’ve missed you so much!”  Kurt smiled as they embraced.   

Jeff smiled and said, “I’ve missed you too, friend.  I feel like it’s been years.” 

Kurt chuckled, “It’s only been since the beginning of summer, ya know.  I was busy working over the summer. Plus it felt like every free moment I got, Blaine was wanting to hang out.”

Jeff rolled his eyes, “Yeah, I know.  I feel like he monopolizes your time. Don’t forget about the rest of us.  He’s a bit overbearing when it comes to you.”

Kurt sighed as he turned back to Jeff, “I know, Jeffie.  I swear I haven’t forgotten about you guys. I think me going back to McKinley will put much needed space between Blaine and I.   Anywaaaayyy….. How is Nicky?!” 

Jeff’s eyes shined at the mention of his boyfriend as they entered their first store.  “He’s great! He was hoping to have his dorm to himself since you moved out. You know, so we could have some ‘alone time’ whenever we wanted.” He winked as he ran his fingers over silk scarf, “But a new guy moved in just before the start of school.  He moved here from Paris… Ooh la la!” 

Kurt’s eyes widened, “Wait!  Is his name Sebastian?” 

Jeff froze, “Yeah, how did you know that?!  Are you psychic or something?  Or did Blaine already tell you about him and warn you to stay away?” Blaine was really getting Jeff’s last nerve. He never let Kurt spend much time with any of his friends since they started dating.  Fortunately, Kurt still kept in touch with Nick  and Jeff as much as possible. Even if Blaine made it difficult sometimes.

Kurt sighed, “No, smartass.  I met him yesterday at the Lima Bean.  He kinda helped me out when Karofsky showed up.  He seems like a nice guy.” 

Jeff gasped, “Karofsky showed up?!  Are you okay? What happened?” 

Kurt giggled, secretly happy that his friend was so concerned about him.  “He showed up right after Finn and the guys left for football practice. I stayed to catch up on some reading for class. I kind of panicked when I saw him come in.  I knew he transferred, but I didn’t really think about running into him _outside_ of school.  Anyway, I started toward the bathroom, thinking I could avoid him.  But when he called my name, and I realized he had spotted me, I asked Sebastian if I could sit with him.  He agreed, and was really a perfect gentleman about it. Anyway, Karofsky just wanted to talk and apologize.  Turns out he was kind of going through hell emotionally while he was making my life hell too. It’s all good now though.  It was nice to have Sebastian there for support if I needed it. He kinda saved me.”

“Wow.”  Jeff gawked.  “You really are lucky.  With his history, I would have been terrified.”  Jeff had noticed something in the way Kurt spoke when he mentioned Sebastian.  Something different.

Kurt nodded in agreement, “Yeah.  I kinda feel like a weight has been lifted now, ya know?”

“Yeah.  And now you already know Sebastian!”  Jeff smiled. “He’s our newest Warbler.  I think Blaine might have some competition for solos.  Sebastian is really good.

Kurt smiled, “Well, anyone who can give Blaine a run for his money is good in my book.  He needs to be knocked down a peg or two.” 

Jeff’s eyes widened, “Well, Kurtsie!  It sounds like there may be trouble in paradise.  Can’t say that I mind though….”

 

…………

 

That evening back at Dalton, Jeff headed straight for Nick’s room.  When Nick answered, Jeff held out a shopping bag. “Surprise! I got you something while we were out shopping today.”

Nick smiled at his boyfriend and pulled out a beautiful new sweater.  “Wow, honey! Thank you so much! That was so sweet of you!”

“You’re welcome!”  Jeff smiled, “We thought it would look great with your eyes.  My handsome man…” Jeff leaned over and planted a kiss on Nick’s cheek.  

Sebastian was sitting up against his headboard reading, but paused to watch the exchange.

“So how is our Kurtsie?!”  Nick asked.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow.   _Could they be talking about my Kurt?  Wait… Since when is he MY Kurt?!_

Jeff smiled as looked over to Sebastian, “He’s good!  Seems our Sebastian here has already met our Kurtsie!” 

Nick looked over at Sebastian with a surprised look on his face.  “Really?! When did you meet Kurt?”

Sebastian grinned, “Kurt?  As in Kurt Hummel?” 

Jeff smiled wide, “The one and only!” 

“He’s a friend of yours?”  Sebastian smirked.

“One of my best friends.” Jeff smiled, “We went shopping today.  I don’t get to see him nearly enough. His stupid boyfriend is a bit of a Kurt hog.”

Nick said, “Wait.  Before we get into that… How did you meet Kurt?” 

Sebastian told them about meeting at the Lima Bean.  Jeff already knew the story, but was curious to hear what spin Sebastian would put on it.  He basically told the same story as Kurt, but Jeff could hear something else in his voice. Something told Jeff that Sebastian may be forming a bit of a crush on Kurt.  And Jeff was all for it.

“Soooo, who IS Kurt’s boyfriend.  No one has actually said his name yet.”  Sebastian said carefully.

Jeff sighed, “It’s Blaine Anderson.  He’s a Junior Warbler. Short, gelled hair, thinks he deserves all of the solos…”

“Really?  He doesn’t seem Kurt’s type.” Sebastian frowned.

“He’s not, if you ask me.”  Nick replied, “Look, Blaine is…. Well, Blaine is…”

Jeff patted Nick on the cheek.  “It’s okay, honey, I got this,” He turned to Sebastian. “Blaine is a charmer. He can be manipulative.   He finally won Kurt over last year, and they became boyfriends. However, what he didn’t count on was our Kurtsie being so smart.  And if he’s not careful, Kurt will leave him high and dry, if some of the undertones of today’s conversations tell me anything. Kurt is no fool.  Blaine says things to Kurt to make him think that nobody else would want him. Which is ridiculous. I mean, you met the guy.”  Sebastian raised his eyebrows and nodded in agreement. Jeff continued, “Kurt is one of the most kind, gentle, loving, loyal, talented people I know.  We’re lucky to have him in our lives. But he’s also fierce. His tongue can outwit most. And if he wants revenge, he won’t use his fists, but he WILL get revenge.”

Sebastian suddenly felt that the room was a bit too warm.  Kurt sounded like the man of his dreams. “Wait. What kinds of things does Blaine say to Kurt that would make him feel like nobody else would want him?  I mean, even one of his straight friends - some muscle-y guy with a mohawk - was flirting with him yesterday.”

Jeff giggled, “Yeah, that’s Puck.  Nice guy, very protective of Kurt.”

Nick perked up, “Was Sam there?  Cute blonde. Big dreamy lips. He was our pizza delivery guy last year for awhile.”

Jeff smacked Nick on the arm and frowned.  Nick said, “Oh honey, you know I was just looking. You’re my one and only.”

Sebastian laughed, “Yeah he was there.  But back to what Anderson says to Kurt…”

Jeff sighed, “Well Blaine told Kurt that he wasn’t sexy last year.  He also went to Mr. Hummel and told him to talk to Kurt about sex. Kurt was furious and embarrassed all at the same time.  He also just says little things that make Kurt seem like a little kid instead of a young man. It’s infuriating to watch sometimes.”

Sebastian’s eyes widened, “You have GOT to be kidding me?!  God, Kurt is so fucking hot. So sexy! I can’t believe anyone would tell him any different.”  Sebastian was starting to get pretty pissed. He was feeling pretty protective about a guy who he only met once.   _What is happening to me?_

Nick and Jeff knowingly smiled at each other.  “Well Seb, looks like you might have a thing for our Kurtsie!”

Sebastian just glared at them.  He couldn’t say anything.

Jeff smiled, “You might be just what our Kurtsie needs….”

…….


	3. Scandals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys head to Scandals, and all hell breaks loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for violence and attempted rape. Also, Blaine being an asshole in general.

 

The following day at Warbler’s practice, Sebastian quietly watched Blaine.  Of course there was the air of confidence that Blaine had, and the way he worked the room. There was a lot of standing on furniture and flirting with other boys, both straight and gay.  Maybe it was what he knew about Blaine now, or the fact that maybe he’s jealous of Blaine for having Kurt as a boyfriend, but he really did NOT like the guy. 

Blaine, on the other hand, was quite aggravated that some new kid named Sebastian wanted a solo.  AND he had the audacity to suggest they audition for any wanted solos. He never had to audition before.  He could charm the council into giving him any solo or song he wanted. Nobody had suggested such ridiculous ideas since Kurt had first arrived last year. He was beyond pissed when the council agreed to the auditions.  

Sebastian and Niff had a plan.  It was time to put it into action.   _You catch more flies with honey_ , Sebastian thought. He approached Blaine after practice with an outstretched hand, “Blaine Anderson!”  He smirked, “I’m Sebastian Smythe. It’s nice to officially meet you. You have quite the reputation around here.  I’m not sure I stand a chance of getting any solos if I’m going up against such a talented singer like you.”  He winked to seal the deal.

Blaine smiled bashfully.  It wasn’t often he was on the receiving end of flirtatious, handsome, guy.  He was usually the one doing the flirting. “Well, I suppose we all deserve a shot, right?  It’s nice to meet you. You’re obviously new around here, or I would definitely know _you_ already.” And he winked back at Sebastian.   

Sebastian felt sick to his stomach, and even a little guilty for blatantly flirting with Kurt’s boyfriend. _Since when do I feel guilty for flirting?_ “Well, hey, Niff and I are going out to this gay bar called Scandals in West Lima this weekend.  Would you like to join us?.... You can bring your boyfriend if you want.” 

Blaine seemed surprised, “My, uh, boyfriend...?” 

 _Seriously?_  Sebastian keeps his cool as much as possible, smirks, and said, “Yes.  Your _boyfriend._   You ARE Kurt’s boyfriend, right?  Because if not, then maybe I should…” 

“NO!  I mean, yes.  Yes, Kurt is my boyfriend. I’m sorry, I thought you were asking me out on a date.”  Blaine quietly added that last part. He was embarrassed, and kind of pissed that Sebastian knew about Kurt.  It must have been Jeff or Nick that told him about Kurt. It’s not like he could do much if Niff was going to be there anyway.  They loved Kurt. “I don’t think a gay bar is quite Kurt’s scene. You would understand if you met him. But _I’d_ be happy to go with _you._ ”

“Huh.”  Sebastian smirked, “I met Kurt last weekend.  Of coarse, I didn’t know he was yourboyfriend.  He seems like he would be up for some fun.  Dancing, karaoke, friends. Seems right up his alley!”

Blaine huffed, “You met Kurt?!”  When? How? Did he flirt with you?  He just doesn’t know how to do anything right.  I’m going have to…” 

“Hey now!”  Sebastian frowned.  “Kurt was the perfect gentlemen.  No need to get all huffy.” 

“Yeah.  Yeah, right.”  Blaine said as he checked his watch.  “I have to go, Sebastian. I’ll see you later.”  And before Sebastian knew it, Blaine was out the door.

………….

 

Later that evening, Sebastian texted Kurt,

**To Kurt:**

Hope you’re having a good start to your week.  I met Blaine today. He’s something else.

**To Sebastian:**

That he is.  How are you?

**To Kurt:**

I’m great, thanks!  Niff and I are going to Scandals (a gay bar) this weekend.  They have karaoke on Saturday nights. Want to come? We asked Blaine.  Did he ask you yet?

**To Sebastian:**

Huh.  Of course he didn’t ask me yet.  How would we be able to get into a bar?

**To Kurt:**

Well, uh, I have some connections for some fake I.D.’s They aren’t as good as the ones I could get in Paris, but I think they will do for Lima, lol.

**To Sebastian:**

I’m not even going to ask lol.  I would love to come. I could use some time with friends. 

**To Kurt:**

Great!

I’ll text you the details later this week.  Take care, Kurt.

**To Sebastian:**

You too, Sebastian.  Thanks for inviting me. See you Saturday.

**To Kurt:**

I look forward to it ;)

 

Ten minutes later, Blaine calls Kurt.  “Hi Blaine”, Kurt answers.

 “Kurt, why didn’t you tell me that you met Sebastian last weekend?  Were you flirting with him? He is way out of your league, Kurt. Again, I think you’re getting in over your head.”  Blaine huffed. 

“Well thanks for that lovely greeting.  What are you even talking about, anyway?  I was not flirting. Sebastian was very kind and helped me out when Karofsky came into the Lima Bean.  And ‘out of my league’, Blaine? Sometimes you’re an ass.” Kurt was really getting pissed.

Blaine’s angry tone wasn’t getting him anywhere, so he whined, “I was just surprised when I met him today, Kurt.  And then he said he met you, and you hadn’t told me! What was I supposed to think?!”

Kurt rolled his eyes, “Well, I don’t know.  Maybe that I have a life outside of you. I don’t have to report every little detail to you, Blaine.”

Blaine continued to whine, “You just don’t talk to me anymore, Sweetheart.  You even went shopping with Jeffie, and I didn’t know about it until he mentioned it at lunch today.  You could have been spending time with ME!”

Kurt had enough at the mention of spending time with friends.  “Blaine Anderson! I am allowed to spend time with my friends! I am allowed to meet nice people, including handsome boys who are nothing but kind.  And I don’t have to ‘report’ ANY of it to you!! And by the way, thanks for inviting me to Scandals with Sebastian and Niff. I WILL be going. With or without you.  Good night, Blaine.” And at that, Kurt hung up.

 

……….

 

Saturday night came, and Kurt was getting excited.  He couldn’t wait to sing and dance with his friends.  He and Blaine had talked and agreed to meet at the bar.  They would all meet in the parking lot, where Sebastian would give them their I.D.’s.  

Kurt was dressed in his best black skinny jeans, black Doc Martin’s, and a tight blue patterned button up that showed off his muscles underneath, and the blue of his eyes.  He wasn’t going to add any layers, even if that was what Blaine would have wanted. His hair was perfectly styled and he looked damn good. 

He told his dad he was going to the movies with Mercedes, and didn’t know if he would be spending the night with her or not.  “Okay, kiddo. Just text or call and let me know what you decide to do.” Burt said. 

“Okay, Dad.  Love you!” Kurt kissed his Dad’s cheek before heading out the door.  

Kurt pulled up to Scandals in his Navigator a few minutes early.  All four Dalton boys had come together since they would all be heading back to Westerville at the end of the night.  They were there and already waiting for Kurt.

“Damn, Kurtsie!  You look hot!” Jeff smiled. 

Kurt laughed, “Thanks, Jeffie!” 

Sebastian had already given the other boys their I.D.’s, so he approached Kurt with his.  He leaned over and whispered in his ear, “You look amazing, Babe.” It sent shivers right down Kurt’s spine.

He smiled as he accepted the I.D. and shyly whispered, “Thank you, Sebastian.”

Blaine was annoyed, so he loudly brought the attention back to himself, “ _Well_!  Shall we go in, Gentlemen?!  I think I need to sing a song or two!”  He was oblivious to the eye rolls that statement earned.

 

…………….

 

A couple of hours later, the boys were all having fun singing and dancing.  Kurt was impressed with Sebastian’s singing voice. He was quiet the showman up on stage as he looked people in the eye, smiled and winked.  Kurt could see how he was going to give Blaine a run for his money when it came to getting those solos. 

Kurt headed to the bar for water.  He was hot and needed a break. As he sat with his back against the bar so he could watch his friends dance, he was oblivious to the fact that a guy came up and sat next to him.  “Having a good time, Fancy?” Dave Karofsky said.

At that moment, Sebastian noticed who was talking to Kurt.  He immediately made a his way to Kurt’s side. Dave nodded to him upon his arrival.  He understood.

“David!?”  Kurt said with a hint of surprise in his voice.  “What are you doing in a gay bar? I thought you weren’t out yet.” 

Dave smiled shyly, “Well, people here seem to accept me.  It’s a nice place to come and relax, be myself, and not have to worry about anything, ya know?” 

Sebastian and Kurt both smiled at him.  “I’m happy for you, David. Everybody needs to be able to just be themselves.  I’m glad you found this place.” Kurt said. 

Sebastian smiled at Kurt, “Would you like to dance, Kurt?”

Kurt returned his smile and said, “I think I’m going to sit out a song or two.  I need to re-hydrate.”

“I understand.”  Sebastian grinned as he turned to David, “How about you?  Care to dance, David?”

David’s eyebrows shot straight up.  He looked at Kurt, who just smiled and winked at him. He looked back to Sebastian,  “Yeah, I guess!” And at that, they were off to the dance floor. Kurt couldn’t help but get a warm, fuzzy, feeling through his entire body.  

 

…………….

 

Kurt finally found Blaine on the dance floor a couple of hours later.  He seemed very drunk, and Kurt thought it would be best to get him home, since the other boys were still going strong.  He said his goodbyes to Niff and Sebastian, telling them he was going to take his drunk boyfriend home. He didn’t see David, but was sure he’d see him again another time.  He put his arm around his boyfriend, “Blaine, I think it’s time we get you home. You’ve had way too much to drink.” 

As they headed toward the door, Blaine leaning on Kurt, he starting rambling in his ear.  “I love you so much, Kurt. You are so cute.” He slurred. 

“‘Cute’.  Just what every teenage boy wants to be called.”  Kurt said as he rolled his eyes. 

They stumbled into the parking lot.  Blaine stopped, grabbed Kurt’s face between his two hands, and kissed him hard.  “Blaine!” Kurt yelled as he pulled back. “You’re drunk. Your breath stinks. And I am not in the mood…. Let’s go.” 

Once they got to the Navigator, Blaine pushed Kurt up against the side of the car and started kissing him again.  Kurt pushed back once more. “Blaine! I said NO!” 

Blaine yelled,  “You’re always saying ‘no’, Kurt!  You are such a prude. You don’t put out at all!  I’m horny! I’m a teenage boy, Kurt! I have needs!”

“What the hell, Blaine!  I’m a teenage boy too! I have to schedule make-out sessions with you, and half the time you bail on those!  YOU are the one who says there is a reason for masturbation, and that I’m not sexy! YOU never want ME! Or do you have to be drunk in order to want me?”  Kurt huffed and then opened the back door to the Navigator. “Now get in so I can get you home.” 

At that, something flashed in Blaine’s eyes.  He shoved Kurt into the back seat and crawled on top of him, pinning his hands above his head.  Kurt yelled, “Blaine! No! Let me up! Get off of me!” 

Blaine smiled what could only be described as an evil smile, and hissed, “I don’t think so, Kurt.  I think I’m tired of waiting for you. I think I’m tired of you being a bitch all the time, and I’m going to _finally_ take what I deserve.  You. I’m going to take _you.”_  

Kurt was struggling to get his hands free.  Blaine was strong, and being on the bottom was a definite disadvantage for Kurt.  He kicked and yelled, but nothing was working. Finally, he pulled his head back and with as much force as he could muster, head-butted Blaine in the nose. 

Blaine jumped back, and got out of the car.  “You broke my fucking nose! You bitch!” 

Kurt got out of the car with the goal of making it back into the bar with his friends.  He only got a couple steps when Blaine grabbed him, turned him around, and pressed him up against the hood of the Navigator with his arms behind his back.  Blaine ground his hard dick against Kurt’s ass. “You know you want it, Kurt. Stop fighting it.” 

Kurt squirmed and kicked until he was able to turn back around to face Blaine who was still continued to grope his crotch and kiss his neck.  “Not like this! Stop, Blaine! No! No! Please stop!”

Blaine was tired of Kurt’s fight.  He looked him in the eye, pulled back his fist, and punched him in the face.  Kurt saw a flash of light, and then black. All black. He fell to the ground face down.  His head hit the pavement with a smack. He was out.

When he came to a minute later, he was rolled over, and Blaine was on top of him.  His shirt had been ripped open. His jeans had been undone, and Blaine was reaching down to his crotch as he tried to kiss him.  “Blaine.” Kurt said in a tired, strangled voice. “Please stop!”

“Fuck you, Kurt!”  Blaine yelled as he tried to lower Kurt’s pants.  “I’m going to fuck your ass, and you are going to like it.  Give me what I deserve, bitch.” 

It was at that moment that Sebastian had stepped outside for some fresh, cool air.  He was missing Kurt already, and was so lost in his thoughts, that he almost didn’t register what he was hearing.  He looked toward the sound and saw Kurt’s Navigator still in the lot. _What is Kurt’s car still doing here?_ He ran over to the car, and immediately saw red. 

“Get the fuck off of him!”  Sebastian yelled as grabbed Blaine by his shirt and yanked him off of Kurt.  He punched Blaine so hard it sent him flying into the next car. He punched again, sending him stumbling to the ground.   

“It will be okay, Kurt.  I’m here.” Sebastian said gently to Kurt as he knelt as his side.  He grabbed one hand to hold and started to grab Kurt’s head to hold off of the pavement when he saw Kurt’s eyes widen as they looked past him. 

Sebastian turned to see Blaine on his feet coming toward them with his hand pulled back, ready to strike.  Sebastian quickly stood, spun around, and with all of his strength, gave one final blow. He was furious and it showed in the punch. Blaine was sent flying back into the parking lot.  He hit the ground with a thud, and didn’t get up. 

Sebastian quickly returned his attention back to Kurt.  He cradled him in his arms and gently whispered, “I’ve got you, Kurt.  I’m here. I won’t let you go. I’ve got you, Babe.” 

“Don’t let go, Bas.  Please.” Kurt pleaded as he clung to Sebastian’s shirt. 

Sebastian clung right back.  “I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got you.” He kissed the top of Kurt’s head, “I’ve got you.  I promise.” His heart broke for this boy who was quickly winning his heart. He wanted nothing more than to keep him safe, make him happy, and give him all the love he deserved.  

Without letting go with one hand, Sebastian used the other hand to dial Nick.  “Where did you go, Seb?” Nick said as he answered the phone.

“Blaine tried to rape Kurt.  We’re in the parking lot. Call 911.”  Sebastian replied in a hurried manner, and then hung up.  “I’ve got you, Kurt.” He reassured the boy in his arms.

“What the fuck!”  Nick yelled. Jeff snapped his head up and looked at his boyfriend with worried eyes.  Nick was as white as a ghost and eyes as big as Jeff had ever seen them. “Blaine tried to rape Kurt in the parking lot!”   

“What?!?!” Jeff screeched as they rushed toward the door.   

David saw the commotion and the worried look on the boy’s faces as they rushed past where he sat at the bar.  He quickly got up to follow, worried about what was wrong since he didn’t see Kurt, Blaine, or Sebastian. 

When they got outside, they saw Blaine lying unconscious on the ground behind Kurt’s Navigator.  David quickly called 911.

As they got the Navigator they turned and saw Sebastian on the ground, holding Kurt and whispering to him quietly.  Jeff gasped, throwing his hands over his mouth and his tears silently fell at the sight of friend. Nick put his arms around Jeff and turned back to Sebastian.  “Is he okay, Seb?”

“I think he will be.  Did you call 911 yet? We need two ambulances.  Plus, I think I broke my hand.” He said quietly.   

“I’m already on it.”  Dave said. “ Although if Anderson isn’t dead by the time they get here, he might be after I’m through with him.” 

“Be my guest.”  Sebastian said with a grateful look in his eyes.   

 

……………..

 

Both ambulances and police arrived fairly quickly.  The EMS crew quickly got Blaine into an ambulance and drove away.  When they tried to get Kurt into the second ambulance, he refused to leave Sebastian’s embrace. 

“I can ride in the ambulance with you, Babe.  I promise I won’t leave you. I’m right here.”  Sebastian said as he stroked Kurt's hair and looked to the EMS crew for confirmation.  They nodded their heads in agreement, and were able to get to the hospital without much argument as long Sebastian was there with Kurt.   

Nick, Jeff, and David stayed to give the police their statements. The police gave them a lecture about using fake ID's, but let it go since none of the boys had any drinks that contained alcohol.  After they finished with the police, Jeff exchanged numbers with David, and promised to call or text when they knew something.  Nick was afraid Jeff was too upset to drive, so he drove Jeff’s car to the hospital. On the way to the hospital, Jeff called Burt.  This was not going to be pretty. 

“Hello?”  Burt answered with a groggy, tired voice. “Who is this?” 

“Mr. Hummel, sir?  This is Jeff Sterling.  I’m a friend of Kurt’s. I’m afraid there’s been an incident….”


	4. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt and Sebastian are together in the hospital when their families come to get them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is all about what happens when the boy's parents come to the hospital. Not too long. More to come soon. Please leave kudos and comments if you see fit! They make me want to keep writing!

 

“Hold the elevator!”  Burt yelled as he, Carol, Finn, and Sam rounded the corner just inside the hospital.

The man inside quickly held his hand up to keep the doors open as Burt and his family piled in.  “Thank you!” Carol replied breathlessly as she pressed the button for their desired floor.

“Congressman Hummel?”  The man in the elevator asked as he eyed the rushed state of Burt and his crew. 

“Uh… Yes?”  Burt turned toward the man.  He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to respond.  He was so focused on getting to Kurt that someone addressing him as ‘Congressman Hummel’ at 2:15 A.M. in a hospital elevator kind of threw him off.

The man offered his hand and a small knowing nod, “Robert Smythe.  State’s Attorney. I’m sorry to hear about your son.” 

Burt’s mind was fuzzy.  He wanted to get to his son.  He also didn’t want to seem too rude. “Ah, I apologize for not recognizing you, Mr. Smythe.  I’m a bit thrown off with the events of the last few hours. How do you know what happened to my son?”

Just then, the elevator doors opened and they immediately saw Jeff and Nick sitting in the waiting room.   

“Mr. Hummel!  Mr. Smythe!” Nick exclaimed.  He and Jeff both knew Burt, but only Nick had met Mr. Smythe when Sebastian moved in to his dorm room.  “Come on, I can show you to their room.”

“ _Their_ room?  Is Kurt not alone?”  Burt questioned. 

“No sir.  Kurt doesn’t want to be without Sebastian right now.”  Nick said sympathetically. 

“Who is Sebastian?”  Burt asked. Turning to Robert, he added, “Is that your boy?” 

Robert nodded “Yes sir.  Sebastian is my son. According to what Jeff told my wife on the phone, Seb stopped Blaine during the attack.  Seb may have broken his hand on Blaine’s face.” Jeff had originally called Victoria Smythe. She was in Indiana visiting Leah for the weekend.  She immediately called her husband, who was out the door in the blink of an eye.

Burt nodded that he had heard what was said, but he was still so overwhelmed to say much more than he already had.   

“Mom, Sam and I will wait here with Jeff, and NIck when he returns.  Let us know if Kurt wants to see us yet. Tell him we love him.”  Finn whispered to Carol before they headed back to the room.

 

……………….

 

Kurt was alone in the room when they entered and he opened his eyes when he heard a gasp.  “Dad…” 

Burt was a jumbled ball of emotions.  He was angry, sad, frustrated, worried, unsure….Kurt looked like he was on the losing end of a fist fight. ”Hey, kiddo.” Burt greeted as he moved to the side of the bed to hug his son.  “How are you feeling?” 

“Okay.”  He answered tentatively as he looked at Robert.   

Understanding the unsure expression, Robert said, “I, uh, think I’ll wait for Sebastian in the hallway.  I’m assuming they took him x-rays or something…” He started moving toward the door. 

“Are you Mr. Smythe?”  Kurt questioned.

“Yes.  I’m Sebastian’s dad.”  He stopped and nodded. “And you must be Kurt.”

“Yes sir.  You have raised an amazing son, Mr. Smythe.  He saved me. He seems to be making it a habit.”  Kurt shyly answered. “His hand is broken. They are putting a cast on it now.”

“Well, Kurt, I’m glad he was there when you needed him.”  He grinned, “And please, call me Robert.” 

“Hey Robert!”  Sebastian teased his dad and then winked at Kurt as they wheeled him back into the room. 

Robert smirked, “Seb!  How are you feeling?”

“Better than Kurt.  I’ll be fine.” He answered as he climbed on the edge of Kurt’s bed and held his hand.  Kurt held on to him like a lifeline.

Kurt saw the questioning look on Burt’s face.  Carol seemed to understand immediately. “Dad, this is Sebastian Smythe.  He saved me tonight. Blaine didn’t get as far as he wanted to tonight, thanks to him.”  He looked up at Sebastian with a soft grin. 

“Mr. Hummel.  Mrs. Hummel. It’s very nice to meet you.  I wish it wasn’t under these circumstances.”  Sebastian said. “I would shake your hand, but, uh…”

“Yeah, a cast can kind of get in the way.”  Burt said as he clapped Sebastian on the shoulder.  “Please, call me Burt, son. Thank you for saving my boy.”

“Of course, Burt.  I just wish I could have gotten there sooner.”  Sebastian said as he looked down at his broken hand.  

Together, the boys both told their parents about the nights events.  They drew their strength from each other. Kurt didn’t mind that Robert was in the room.  He felt comfortable with him right away. Maybe it was because he reminded him so much of Sebastian. Burt, of coarse, was ready to kill Blaine.  It took everything he had in him not to hunt down what room he was in so that he could personally put him in ICU before the night ended.

They had already given the police their statements. They were lectured about using fake I.D.’s. Since neither Kurt or Sebastian had consumed any alcohol and the attack happened outside of the club in the parking lot, both boys were given a warning.  Blaine, on the other hand, wasn’t going to get off so easily. 

Kurt’s doctors came in to give an update on his condition.  He had the obvious cuts, bruises, two bumps on his head (one from the fall after being knocked out, and one from head butting Blaine), and a nasty black eye and busted lip.  He also had a concussion. Because Carol is a nurse and promised to keep an eye on him, Kurt would be allowed to head home in a couple of hours. And there lies the problem…Kurt didn’t want to stay in the hospital.  But he was also scared to death of letting go of Sebastian. At least for the little while longer. 

Sebastian wanted to stay until he knew Kurt could go home.  Robert had been very understanding, kind, and patient about that.  He had sent Nick and Jeff home after they gave a quick goodbye to Kurt and Sebastian.  Finn and Sam had gone home with Carol around the same time after saying their own goodbyes.  They were both ready to join Burt in putting Blaine in ICU after seeing the state of their brother and friend.

.......

 

Kurt’s doctor came in to find the two dads nodding off on the small couch in front of the window.  Kurt and Sebastian were propped up in bed, leaning against each other, holding hands, and fast asleep. Both dads woke at the sound of the doctor coming in.   “I hate to have to wake them up. After what they’ve been through, they could use the rest...but you can take the boys home whenever you’re ready.” The doctor quietly announced. 

Burt nodded and went to the bed to wake the boys.  “Kurt, wake up buddy. Sebastian. Wake up.” He shook their shoulders.   

“Dad?  What’s the matter?”  Kurt was trying to let his eyes adjust to the lights. 

“It’s time to go home, buddy.  Are you ready?” Burt gave a gentle smile.  

A look of panic swept across Kurt’s face.  He looked at Sebastian as he was waking. He looked back to his dad, and then quickly back to Sebastian.  Burt and Robert gave each other a knowing look and nod. 

“Seb, I have a flight to DC in just a couple of hours.  And your mom will be home from helping Leah by late afternoon -” 

Burt interrupted, “So maybe, Sebastian, you would like to come home with us.   Neither of you should be left alone right now. And it looks to me like maybe you still need each other a bit longer.  That is, if it’s okay with your dad…” 

Sebastian and Kurt anxiously looked Robert.  Sebastian nodded his head to his dad while he squeezed Kurt’s hand a little tighter.  “Of course that’s okay, Burt. I’m assuming that’s okay with you, Seb?”

“Yes, please.”  Sebastian sighed in relief.  As much as Kurt needed Sebastian right now, Sebastian also needed to be there for Kurt.  He felt a deep need to protect this boy who has made his way into his heart.

 

……………...


	5. The Following Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is about what happens when they come home from the hospital, as well as the events of the following day. What will happen when Puck finds out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think of this new chapter! Don't forget to come back often. I'll post a new chapter before the end of the week!

When they arrived home from the hospital, the first thing Kurt wanted to do was shower.  Carol walked Kurt down to his bedroom and ensuite. Once he had gathered his pajamas, Carol turned to him, gave him a warm motherly hug, and said, “Okay, Honey.  I’ll give you privacy to shower and dress, but I’m waiting right outside the bathroom door. You need to keep the door unlocked in case you get too light headed and fall.  I can call for your dad to come help you if something happens, if that’s what you prefer, but someone needs to be here to listen for you. The warm shower will feel good, but it can make you woozy after a concussion.”  Kurt nodded and Carol gave him a warm smile and added, “And Kurt, Honey… I love you.”

Kurt gave her a small smile and hugged her, “I love you too, Carol.  Thank you.” 

While Kurt and Carol were downstairs, Burt was talking to Sebastian in the living room. “Sebastian, I want you to know that you are welcome here any time.  You know I’m not pleased about you boys going to bar, but I do understand your reasoning behind it - needing a place to let loose and have fun while having the freedom to completely be yourselves.  But again, I can’t express how incredibly grateful I am that you were there for Kurt when he needed you. We would be a hell of lot worse off if you hadn’t been there.” 

“Thank you, Burt, for welcoming into your home.  And, of coarse, you’re welcome for helping Kurt… Although it feels weird saying it that way.    I’m glad I was there too.” Sebastian shifted a bit on his feet, “I… I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get the image out of my head.  I can’t imagine how Kurt is feeling.” He cleared his throat and changed the topic, “Uh, if you could find a blanket for me, I can make a bed on the couch.”  He looked over his shoulder to the couch. 

Burt gave him a puzzled look, “Nonsense!  Kurt needs you right now. You make him feel safe, Sebastian.  You’ll be sleeping in his room tonight.”

Before Sebastian could respond, Sam came downstairs to the living room.  “Sebastian, if you want to shower, you can use our bathroom upstairs. I put a change of clothes in there for you as well as a new toothbrush.  I figured my clothes would work best since you’re bigger than Kurt, and Finn is, well, a giant.” He chuckled.

Sebastian smiled, “Thank you.  A shower sounds amazing right now.”  

Once Kurt was showered and dressed, Carol was making sure that he was all set up and comfortable.  “Where’s Bas?” Kurt yawned. 

“I’m right here.”  Seb said as he made his way down the stairs.  

“You always have a way of showing up when you’re needed, don’t you?”  Carol said as she smiled at him.

“Yes he does.”  Kurt replied.

Kurt was already laying in bed when Sebastian propped a pillow up against the headboard and sat next to Kurt under the blankets.  Kurt immediately grabbed his hand and closed his eyes.

Carol suddenly realized that she was smiling and staring at them a bit too long when Burt came down the stairs.  “Goodnight, kiddo.” Burt said.

“I think he’s already out like a light.  He’s exhausted.” Carol said, leaning up against her husband as they looked at the boys.  The both noticed how Sebastian kept his eyes on Kurt. He was looking at him lovingly, but probably didn’t realize it.   

“Your know, you don’t have to sit up all night, kid.  Lay down and get some sleep. I trust you won’t don’t anything stupid.”  Burt was sure Sebastian had to be exhausted too. Both mentally and physically.  “Goodnight, Sebastian.” 

“Goodnight.”  Sebastian was soon fast asleep next to Kurt.

…………….

 

The boys woke up late the next morning.  Kurt woke up first and quickly realized that he had snuggled up to Sebastian at some point during the night.  His head was resting on Seb’s chest and his arm was over his stomach. At first he was worried that he had invaded Sebastian’s space, but as he tried to roll onto his back, he realized that Sebastian had his arms wrapped protectively around him.  

Kurt sat up, and doing so woke Sebastian.  “Mmm. G’morning, Babe.” Sebastian smirked.   

Kurt blushed a bit at their closeness. “Good morning.” 

“How are you feeling?”

Kurt moaned, “...Like I got hit by a truck.  How is your hand feeling?”

“Sore, but okay, I guess.  Let’s go upstairs and get some food in you.  You shouldn’t take your pain meds on an empty stomach.”  

When the boys made it upstairs, Finn and Sam were playing video games in the living room. They paused the game and Finn asked, “Hey guys.  How are you both feeling?”

“I hurt and Bas’ hand is sore.  Did you guys eat breakfast?”

“Yeah, we just finished.”  Sam said, “Carol is making more for you two right now.  You better get in there before Finn decides he wants a third helping.” 

When the boys got to the kitchen, Carol had made a full breakfast for them.  Eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, fruit, and coffee were all ready and waiting on the kitchen table.  “You didn’t need to go to all this trouble, Carol. But thank you.” Kurt gave her a grateful smile.   

“I know, Honey, but I wanted to.  And you both need food on your stomachs before you take your pain medicine.”  Carol smiled. 

“You sound like Sebastian.”  Kurt chuckled a little. 

Carol gave each boy some pain medicine.  “Thank you, Carol. For all of this.” Sebastian said as he gestured toward the table full of food.   

“You’re welcome, Sweetie.  Oh, Kurt, your dad ran down to the garage quick.  Hell be back soon.” Carol smiled and then left the room.

Once the boys were alone they had an opportunity to talk.  Kurt looked at Sebastian, “Bas, thank you for saving me last night.  I… I don’t want to think about what would have happened without you there.  I have so many emotions right now, and my thoughts are jumbled, so I will want to talk again another time when my head is clear, but the only thing I can really express right now and know that I’m making sense is… just...thank you.”

Sebastian reached across the table and took Kurt’s hand in his own.  He stroked Kurt’s knuckles with his thumb. “Kurt… I don’t know what to say.  Your welcome? I mean, of course I was going to help you. I would have done anything, given anything, to get you out of that situation.  I wish I would have come outside sooner. I’m so sorry that happened to you. I’m so very sorry. And…you know, you can talk to me about it.  About anything. Your thoughts, or your feelings. Emotional pain, or physical pain. I’m here for you.”

Kurt squeezed his hand.  He pushed his plate away, “I think the thing that bothers me the most is the violent part of it - not the sexual part of it.  And maybe that’s what is confusing me about my feelings. I’m more upset that he would beat me. It’s not that I’m not upset about what he said to me, or that he tried to steal my virginity”  Kurt blushed “It’s just that… He hit me. Over and over, he...he beat me….” 

“Kurt.  You have every right to feel each and every thing that you are feeling.   _Every right_ .  They are _your_ feelings.  This happened to _you_.  You don’t need a reason or a explanation.  Your feelings are valid all on their own.” 

Kurt sighed, “You’re pretty amazing, ya know.”  

Sebastian smirked and winked, “Yeah, well….”

 …………….

 

Later that afternoon, all four boys were in the living room and decided to watch a movie.  Sam was in a chair, Finn was spread out with pillows on the floor, and Kurt and Sebastian were sitting next to each other on the couch. As soon as they sat,  Kurt reached over without thinking and grabbed Sebastian’s hand. Sebastian held it right back, but then Kurt realized that it was kind of a ‘boyfriend’ thing to do.  So he leaned over and whispered as he gave Seb’s hand a little squeeze, “Is this okay? I mean, if it’s too weird for you-” 

Sebastian interrupted him, “Kurt it’s fine.  I promise. I told you. I won’t let go.” 

Kurt sighed in relief, “Thank you.  Just being with you makes me feel safe.  But touching you makes me feel grounded. Like I won’t get lost in my own head.” 

Sebastian just grinned at him and squeezed his hand back.   _How am I supposed to respond to that,_ he thought. _Kurt, don’t ever let go?  I don’t want you to ever let go. I want you to hold on to me for all for eternity.  God, Seb, you just met him a week ago! What’s wrong with you? And he’s not going to be ready for a boyfriend any time soon after what happened last night._

Moments later Puck came walking into the house unannounced.  He stopped knocking years ago. He was basically a fourth son in the Hummel-Hudson-Evans household.  Well, he considered himself the third son, since he was there before Evans. He came into the living room, focusing on the movie that the boys had chosen and plopped down in one of the chairs.  Sebastian tightened his grip protectively on Kurt’s hand. But then he remembered something. _Oh yeah.  This is Puck.  He’s the one Niff said was a good friend of Kurt’s and was even protective if him.  Let’s see how this goes._

When Puck turned to the boys to make a comment about the movie, he noticed Sebastian.  “Dude. Who the hell are you?” He had noticed him holding hands with Kurt. Then he glanced at Kurt.  Puck’s face turned red at the sight of Kurt’s beaten face. He stood from his seat and started yelling as he moved toward Kurt and Sebastian.  “What the fuck! Princess! What happened to you!? Did he do this!?” Sam and Finn both jumped up to hold Puck back. He looked he was out for blood.  

“Noah, no.  It was Blaine.”  Kurt said as he looked Puck in the eye.  “Blaine did this. He tried to rape me last night.” 

“What the hell?! Where is he?!  I’m gonna kill him! I never liked that little shithead.  Where is he?!” Puck yelled. 

“Puck.” Sam said in tone that was trying to calm the mood in the room.  “Puck, this is Sebastian. He’s a friend of Kurt’s. He was there last night, and saved Kurt from Blaine.  As far as we know, Blaine is still in the hospital.” He motioned for Puck to look at Sebastian’s cast. “He broke his hand on Blaine’s face.” 

Puck’s breathing started to steady and he looked back and forth between Kurt and Sebastian.  “What’s with the hand holding?” He narrowed his glare to Sebastian.

“Noah.”  Kurt calmly spoke. “ He… Sebastian makes me feel safe.  When you guys left Lima Bean last week, and I stayed, Karofsky came in.”  Puck’s eyebrows shot up, “But Bas was there and helped me out. That’s how we met.  We became friends. And a few of us went out last night to a gay bar.” Puck gave Kurt a questioning look, but Kurt continued.  “I was taking Blaine home because he was too drunk, and then… and then, it happened. Bas came out to get some fresh air and saw it.   And he saved me. I… I feel safe with him. Holding his hand makes me feel… not so lost.” 

Puck sighed and walked over to Kurt.  He stood in front him and motioned with his hands for him to stand up and give him a hug.  Kurt squeezed Seb’s hand and then let go. He stood and Puck quickly wrapped him in a big bear hug.  “I’m so sorry, Princess.” Kurt squeezed back. A tear fell silently. He felt very lucky to have such good friends.  

Without letting go all the way, Puck pointed to Sebastian.  “You. Come here.” When Sebastian stood, Puck grabbed him and pulled him in to include him in his embrace with Kurt.  “I’m just gonna say it now to get it out of the way. Thanks for saving him, but whether you’re a friend, or more, if you ever hurt my Princess, you will live to regret it.  Understood?” 

“Understood.”  Sebastian said.  “I’m happy Kurt has friends like you guys.”   

 

_……………._

 

After the movie, all five boys, along with Burt and Carol, sat and discussed Kurt’s return to school and what the best way to break the news to his friends would be.  They decided that Kurt would not go to school on Monday (although Kurt argued against that, he lost). They also decided that Finn, Sam, and Puck would hold a glee club meeting to let them know what happened without divulging too much personal information.  Kurt didn’t want to return to school and have to explain his appearance over and over again. Burt planned on stopping by the school to explain the situation to Mr. Figgins, Mr. Schuester, Coach Sylvester and Mrs. Pillsbury. Figgins could let the rest of Kurt’s teacher know as saw fit.

After dinner all of the boys decided to ride together to take Sebastian back to Dalton.  He had spoken to his mother on the phone, and although she wanted to see her son before he started a new week at Dalton, she understood.  They decided to compromise and skype later that night.

They loaded into the Navigator.  Kurt wasn’t allowed to drive yet, so he sat in the back in between Sebastian and Puck.  Sam drove and Finn rode shotgun. “Why can’t _I_ drive?”  Finn whined.  “It’s _my_ brother’s car.”

“Mailman!”  replied Kurt, Puck, and Sam at the same time.   

“Oh.  Yeah, okay.”  Finn said as he stared out the window. 

“Do I want to know?”  Seb asked. 

“Nope!”  The other four answered in unison.

When they arrived at Dalton, Sebastian said goodbye to Finn, Sam and Puck.  All three hugged him and thanked him again for what he had done for Kurt. Kurt however, decided to walk Sebastian to his dorm.  

As they walked through the halls, Kurt got a couple of strange looks from other boys.  He had forgotten how bad his face looked after the attack. He was kind of embarrassed.  As they turned a corner, they ran into Trent and Thad. Both boys did a double take, not really registering at first that it was Kurt they were looking at.  And then they saw the Kurt and Sebastian holding hands. “Kurt?” Trent asked, “What the hell happened? What’s going on?” 

“I will tell you at Warbler rehearsal tomorrow.  Goodnight boys.” Answered Sebastian. He put his hand on the small of Kurt’s back and guided him past the two Warblers.   

When they got to Seb’s room, Nick and Jeff were snuggled in bed together watching a movie on Nick’s laptop.  “Hi!” Jeff said as they entered the room. “How are you two feeling?” 

“I’m feeling better as time passes.  Guys, thanks for being there for me last night.  I really appreciate it.” Kurt answered. 

“Of coarse, Kurtsie.”  Jeff answered. “I texted David when we left the hospital.  Do you mind if I text him another update? I think he might feel weird texting you directly.  This friendship thing with you might be too new for him to feel comfortable reaching out to you directly yet.” 

“That would be fine.  Thanks Jeff.” 

“How about you, Seb?  How’s your hand?” Nick asked.

“Oh, it’s fine.  Might be a bitch to write or type in class for a while though.”  

“The teacher’s will go easy on that, I think.  Thomas broke his hand last year in a lacrosse game.  The staff made it pretty easy for him to transition.” Nick replied.

“Kurtsie, are you going back to school tomorrow?”

“No, I’m waiting until Tuesday.  My ‘brothers’ are going to speak to my friends tomorrow, so I don’t have to worry about doing it myself.”  Kurt answered. “Speaking of ‘brothers’, they’re waiting outside. I had better get going. Bas, you need to skype your mom, too.”   

Sebastian sighed.  He didn’t want Kurt to leave.  “Yeah, I guess.” He faced Kurt and grabbed his hand, “Kurt, please call me if you need anything.  Anything at all. You can text me any time too. Whatever you need. Okay? I promise, I’ll be there.” 

“I know, Bas.”  Kurt leaned in and pressed their foreheads together.  “Thank you.” He leaned back, “Uhm, Jeffie? Can you walk me to my car?  Bas needs to skype his mom, and I don’t want to deal with anyone I know in the halls.” 

Sebastian added, “Thad and Trent saw Kurt in the hall.  They wanted to know what was going on. I told them I would tell everyone at Warbler rehearsal.  It will be best to tell everyone at once.” 

“Understood.”  Nick said.

“Okay, Kurtsie.  Let’s head out, Sweetie.”  Jeff smiled a soft smile at his friend.

  
And then there was the hard part.  Actually leaving each other. They hugged for a long time.  Unspoken words were exchanged through squeezes, sighs, and looks.  Kurt silently shed a tear as he turned to leave. And that broke Seb into a million pieces.  If only Kurt was still at Dalton. He just hated saying goodbye. _At least his brothers will protect him_ , Sebastian repeated to himself over and over again.  But no matter what either boy told themselves, it was still the hardest goodbye either of them had had in long, long time.  


	6. The Glee Clubs Find Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is about how the two Glee clubs react to the news of Kurt's attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sugar is Kurt's best friend. I always thought the two of them would have the perfect friendship. Also, you may notice Rachel isn't mentioned. She is there, but she's not the in-your-face always there kind of character. I'm already working on Chapter 7. Please leave kudos or comments if you like what you read! It motivates me to keep writing!

On Monday, Sebastian, Nick, and Jeff avoided any and all questions about Kurt.  Rumors flew through the school since some boys who knew him had seen him in the dorm halls the night before with Sebastian.  When Blaine didn’t show up to classes, the rumors spread like wildfire.

Sebastian texted Kurt at lunch time.

**To Kurt:**

I’m heading out to the courtyard to eat my lunch.  Away from the crowds for a bit. Call me if you want to talk.

 

Kurt called a couple of minutes later.  “Hey, Babe. How are you feeling today?”  Sebastian said as he answered the call.

Kurt felt relief just hearing Sebastian’s voice.  “Hmm, better. My eye hurts the most, but it’s starting to get a little green around the edges, so that’s a good sign, I guess. Carol’s been babying me all day.   How is your hand?”

“It’s fine.  Doesn’t really bother me much.  It’s a pain to type or write, but someone in each of my classes has offered to share their notes, so it’s all good.  How are you emotionally?” 

“You don’t beat around the bush, do you?”  Kurt chuckled. 

“Nope.  Now spill.  How are you?” 

“I think I’m doing pretty well, considering.  It’s when I look in the mirror that I get the most upset.  It just reminds me of how he wasn’t afraid to hurt me to get what he wanted.”  Kurt sighed. 

“Maybe when the bruises fade, and the cuts heal, it will be a little easier?  You’ll never forget, Kurt. But maybe it will not be such a harsh reminder once your physically healed.” 

“I hope so….  And I don’t want to be, or sound, needy… But... I miss you.” 

“I miss you too, Babe.  It’s killing me that I have to be so far from you right now.”  They spoke for a few more minutes before Sebastian had to get to class.  Kurt agreed to call soon, and Seb reminded him that he would keep his phone on vibrate so he could text any time of day, even during school.

 

……….

 

The room was buzzing as the Warblers waited for rehearsal to start.  When Sebastian, Nick, and Jeff walked in together, the room fell silent.  All eyes were on Sebastian. Maybe because of the cast on his hand. Maybe because of the rumors.  Maybe both. He leaned against the council table and cleared his throat as he watched the other Warblers shift expectantly in their seats.  Nick and Jeff stood on either side of him, silently supporting their friend.

“Warblers.”  Sebastian started.  “I understand that some of you saw Kurt in the dorm hallways last night, or you may have heard from others who saw him.  Kurt has given me permission to tell you the basics of what happened over the weekend, but we will not divulge any further details beyond what I’m about to tell you, so don’t bother asking any of us.  Kurt, Blaine, Nick, Jeff, and myself all went out Saturday night for some dancing and karaoke. Blaine had too much to drink, so Kurt tried to take him home.” Sebastian sighed, “Blaine tried to rape Kurt in the parking lot.” Before Sebastian could continue, the room erupted with people yelling.  Some were angry, some confused, some surprised that Blaine could do such a thing, and some looked like they were already plotting revenge. 

Nick whistled, then loudly and sternly added, “All right!  Let Sebastian finish. Please.” 

Sebastian took a deep breathe.  “In his attempt, he beat Kurt pretty badly.  Kurt suffered a concussion, black eye, and multiple lacerations.  I came outside for some fresh air, and when I saw what was happening,  I stopped it…. Hence the broken hand.”

Nick added, “We do not know yet what is happening with Blaine.  He was unconscious when the three of them were taken to the hospital.  We do not know his condition, or even if he has left the hospital yet. We do, however, know that the police are involved.  Kurt, the three of us, and another friend of Kurt’s who was there, all gave our statements to the police. We know there is an investigation, but that’s about it.  Given Dalton’s policies, I’m confident he will not be returning, no matter the results of the police investigation.” 

Jeff put his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder and addressed the room.  “We need to be supportive of Kurt, but we also need to respect his privacy.  Please extend that respect to us as well. It was not easy seeing what we saw.  Especially for Seb.” Sebastian nodded, but did not look up at the room full of Warblers.  At that, Warbler rehearsal was canceled for the day.

 

………

 

Burt met with Principal Figgins, Mrs. Pillsbury, Mr. Schuester, and Coach Sylvester first thing that morning.  Figgins sat and shook his head. Mrs. Pillsbury shed a silent tear. Mr.Schuester sat in utter shock. Coach Sylvester, however, was furious. How could someone do this to her Porcelain?  She stormed out of the room and knocked over anything that got in her way. Burt looked at Figgins, “Well she hasn’t changed. At least she’s on Kurt’s side.”

Glee class was right after lunch, so Finn sent out a group text telling everyone to grab their lunch and then head to the choir room for an emergency meeting.  Mr. Schuester agreed to be there in case they needed him, but he would let the boys handle it however they had chosen as a family. When everyone got there, Finn and Sam were sitting in front.  Puck sat in the back so he could observe the group like he does best. They gave everyone some time to eat, and then began to announce the heartbreaking news. 

Finn cleared his throat and shifted a bit.  He wasn’t sure how to begin. “Uh. Kurt. He, uh…” 

Sam put his hand on Finn’s shoulder, and said, “Let me?”  Finn nodded in agreement. “Okay everyone. I’m going to be blunt about this and I want you to let me finish before you say anything.  It’s not easy to talk about, so let me get all the way through in one go.” He took a deep breath and as quickly as possible said, “Kurt went out Saturday night with some guys from Dalton, including Blaine.  Blaine got drunk, so Kurt was going to drive him home. Blaine tried to rape Kurt in the parking lot, and Kurt got pretty beat up. His friend, Sebastian, came outside and saw it, so he let loose on Blaine, knocking him out, and broke his hand doing it.  All three were taken to the hospital.” He continued to tell the group about Kurt’s injuries, and as much as he knew about the police involvement. 

To all of the boys surprise, the room was silent.  Everyone was just staring at them in shock. And then… all hell broke loose.  Santana was swearing in Spanish, “Esa estúpida madre folladora! ¡Voy a arrancarle la polla y empujarla por el culo! ¡Solo dame un minuto y lo haré arrepentirse por el resto de su vida!” _(That stupid mother fucker!  I’m going to rip his dick off and shove it up his ass!  Just give me a minute and I will make him regret in for the rest of his life!)_ Everyone was talking at the same time.  Some people yelling, some asking questions, some crying, some slamming their fist into their hands like they were going to kill someone.   

Puck sat and watched it all.  He was glad that Kurt had is Glee family to support him, but they needed to get their act together.  “Hey!” He boomed. “Look, I love that you all care about Princess so much. And trust me, when I found out yesterday, I had the exact same reaction.  But I think right now, we need to come up with ways to support Kurt. When he comes back to school tomorrow, he’s still going to be pretty bruised up. He might be emotional.  His friend Sebastian, the one who kicked Blaine’s ass, is his ‘safe place’. But since he’s at Dalton, we need to step up even more. Walk him to classes, stay with him at lunch, shoo people away who might ask questions.  Whatever he needs.” 

Finn agreed and then added, “And I think it’s important that we don’t ask Kurt questions.  Let him be the one to offer information. He might feel attacked if we all start asking things, or give him too much attention at once about it.”  

Mr. Schuester was impressed with the boy’s thoughtfulness.  He added, “You all know that Glee, and the choir room, is your safe haven.  Make sure it stays that way for Kurt.” 

Everyone agreed and started talking among themselves.  Puck noticed Sugar had not said a word the entire time. She just sat and cried.  Puck nudged Sam and nodded his head toward Sugar. Sam took notice, and headed her way.  “Hey, Sugar. Are you okay?” 

“He’s my best friend.  I hate that he went through that and I wasn’t there for him.  Why am I just now finding out? You guys already knew!” She cried. 

“I know it’s so hard to hear, Sugar.”  Sam said, “You have to remember that I live with Kurt.  When Burt got the call, Finn and I went with he and Carol to the hospital. And Puck just comes in house whenever he wants.  He practically lives there too. He came over unannounced yesterday. That’s how he found out. Kurt’s not keeping anything from you because he doesn’t trust you or something.  It’s not something you call someone about and say, ‘Hey, guess what happened…’ That’s why he wanted us to tell everyone today… So he wouldn’t have to explain when you all see him tomorrow.  You know he loves you, Sugar. He always says you’re his best girl.”

Sugar sniffed, “I know.  I love my Angel. But I just wish I could have been there for him.  I feel like I let him down.” 

Sam smiled at her.  “Well, his friend Sebastian was there for him all day yesterday.  He came home with us from the hospital. I think it might be the start of something.  You never know. But remember, he will always need his best friend. No matter what guy comes along.” 

Sugar gave a small smile.  “He told me about Sebastian after he met him at The Lima Bean.  Something in his voice sounded different when he talked about him.  I’m glad Sebastian was there for him a second time. Thanks for talking with me, Sam.  You’re a good guy.” 

“You’re welcome.  And yes, I am a good guy.  But it was Puck was the one who noticed you needed a friend.  He cares about you, ya know. He’s rough around the edges, but he is a good guy.” 

Sugar rolled her eyes and nudged his shoulder.  “Now you sound like Angel.”

 

……….

 

After dinner, Sebastian called Kurt.  “Hi Bas. How did the Warblers react?”  Kurt asked as he answered the phone. 

Seb chuckled, “Now look who’s not beating around the bush.”

“Sorry, I’m just really curious if it was anything like what happened when New Directions found out.”  Kurt said. 

“What did they say?” 

Kurt smiled, “No, no.  You go first…” 

“Well, let’s just say that if hunting people down with pitchforks and torches was still a thing, Blaine would already be hanging from a tree in the backwoods of Ohio somewhere.  To say they were pissed is an understatement.” Sebastian paused and then added, “They are all ready and willing to support you, Kurt. Whatever you need.” 

“Thanks, Bas.  I’m sorry if that was uncomfortable for you guys.  It couldn’t have been easy.” 

“Kurt, don’t apologize.  Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do.”  Sebastian carefully added, “So, how did New Directions react?  Did everything go okay for your brothers?” 

“Well, it sounds like it was very similar, but a lot more crying with New Directions.  The guys and Santana were really angry. At least Santana looked angry - she was yelling in Spanish, and we can only assume it wasn’t good.  A lot of the other girls were crying. Especially Sugar.” 

“Sugar?” 

“Yeah, she’s my best friend.  And yes, that’s her real name.”  Kurt gave a small chuckle, but then frowned at the thought of he being upset. “She was really upset.  Sam said she just sat there in silence crying. I feel so bad. He said she’s upset because she hasn’t been able to be there for me.  I just hope that she’s not upset that I didn’t tell her.” 

“Has she called you yet?” 

Kurt answered, “No, but my brothers told everyone not to bother me yet.  I should probably call her.” 

“Okay, I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”  Sebastian was asked hopefully. 

“Of course.” 

“Get some rest too, Kurt.  Tomorrow is going to be a long day for you.  Call or text any time if you need me, okay?” 

“Thanks, Bas.  Goodnight.” 

“Goodnight, Babe.”

Kurt hung up from his call from Sebastian and quickly called Sugar before he lost his nerve.  He loved his best friend so much. With as much as he was going through, he didn’t want her to be upset for any reason.  Especially if the reason was him. 

“Angel?”

“Yeah, it’s me, Sugar.  Are you okay?” Kurt asked.

“You are asking _me_ if I’m okay?  How are _you_?  What can I do to help, Angel?”

“I’ll be okay.  Just…Um, tomorrow is going to be hard.  I’ll need my best girl by my side. I, umm.. I’m sorry I didn’t call you or tell you myself…” 

Sugar sighed, “Angel, no.  I’m not upset with you at all.  I understand why you didn’t tell me earlier.  I’m just upset because it happened. I’m so very sorry, Angel.  I wish I could do more to help you.” 

“Just you being there for me is more than enough.  I have to get some rest. I’ll meet you in the parking lot tomorrow morning?  I love you, Sugar.” Kurt said softly. 

“Love you too, Angel.  I’ll be there early. Goodnight.” 


	7. Back to School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt goes back to school for the first time since the attack, and everyone reacts. Sebastian comes to check on him. Coffee and questions ensue. A private conversion in the car on the ride home will be a turning point in their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of dialog. Hope you enjoy. Also, Blaine will be addressed in the next chapter. Comments and kudos always welcome!

The next morning, everyone gathered for breakfast before heading off for school and work.  As soon as Kurt came into the kitchen, Burt asked, “How are you feeling? Are you sure you’re up for going back already?  You can stay home another day or two. Whatever you need, Bud.” 

Kurt sighed and gave his dad a small smile, “I will never be completely ready, Dad.  And if I stay home any longer, my thoughts about going back are going to do more damage than actually going back could ever do.”   

Finn added, “And we’ll be with him, Burt.  Kurt will never be alone unless he wants to be.”  Kurt gave his brother a grateful smile and nod. 

When the boys pulled into the parking lot in Kurt’s Navigator, Sugar was already there, leaning against her light pink 55’ Chevy convertible.  Kurt smiled just seeing her there. God, he loved his best girl. She was so adorable. As soon as he got out of the car, they embraced in a long hug.   

“Angel!”  She squealed.  But then when she pulled back and saw his face, she let out a small gasp.  “Oh, Angel…” And she squeezed him even tighter. 

“It looks worse that it feels at this point.  But I’m also not going to attempt to cover it up.  It is what it is.” Kurt said as he hugged her. “Let’s go.  The sooner we get started, the sooner it’s over.” 

At that, Kurt and Sugar walked hand in hand into the school with Finn and Sam right behind them.  There were lots of stares and whispers, but Kurt did his best to ignore them. Even Azimio and the jocks left him alone.   Everyone seemed to keep their distance, not knowing what happened, but knowing Kurt didn’t need any more crap from anyone. Not that anyone could get close to him with his brothers by his side. 

The Glee Club decided to have lunch in the choir room so that they could stay clear of any unwanted remarks from jocks or jerks in the cafeteria.  Most of ND was in the choir room already when Kurt walked in with Sugar and Finn. There was a collective gasp. They had tried to mentally prepare themselves for what Finn and Sam had warned, but seeing their friend like this was harder than they thought.  His normally flawless skin was… broken. 

Santana stood so fast, that her chair went flying backwards.  Her face was red with anger at Blaine for doing this to her friend.  She started toward Kurt with the intention to embrace him in a hug, but Kurt jumped and stepped back.  He looked terrified. Finn stepped in front of Kurt. “Santana. Calm. Down.” Santana just frowned and looked at Finn like he had two heads, willing him to get out of her way. 

Sugar put her arm around Kurt's waist to comfort him, while Puck spoke as he made his way toward the scene, “Santana, your anger may be toward Blaine, and your desire may be to comfort Kurt, but in all appearances, it’s hard to tell the difference.  Calm down and sit, or leave the room. You’re scaring Princess.”

Santana’s face fell, and tears started as she returned to her seat, righting the chair as she spoke. “I’m so sorry.  I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, Kurt. I… I just want to hug you,” she said and she sat with her head down, “but I also want to kill that bastard for doing that to you…”

Kurt slowly walked over to where Santana was sitting.  “It - It’s okay. You just startled me. No sudden movements, okay?”  She nodded in agreement. He sighed, held out his arms, and wiggled his fingers, “Okay, give me a squeeze.”  Santana stood and gave Kurt the most gentle hug she could muster. He didn’t know she had it in her. 

“You know I would never hurt you, right?”  Santana said tearfully. 

“Tana,”  Kurt started, “It’s not the same anymore.  I never thought Blaine would hurt me either.  I’m hoping things go back to normal. But right now, I just don’t know.  There’s only two people I feel 100% safe with. My dad, and Sebastian. I’m sorry if that doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t make sense to me either.”

“Okay.”  Santana said.  She didn’t understand how Kurt could feel safe with a guy he barely knew.  But if that’s what he feels, then she would try to accept it.

The rest of lunch was pretty uneventful.  Everyone seemed to be keeping an eye on Kurt, but they all tried really hard to keep their conversations are normal and natural as possible.  Sectionals were coming up, so they deferred to that as a topic of conversation more than once. Rachel, of coarse, was trying to convince everyone to do Broadway, while everyone else disagreed.  Kurt kept quiet and just listened. 

During Glee’s after school class, Mr. Schuester came in and wrote the topic of the week on the board… Strength.  “Strength”. He announced. “This week you will sing a song about strength. What kind of strength is up to you.”

 

………………

 

Sebastian worried about Kurt all day.  They texted at lunch, and Kurt said he said he was doing okay, but that did not ease Seb’s worry.  He couldn’t take it anymore. His last class of the day was study hall, so he took off his blazer and tie, skipped class, and headed to Lima.

When he arrived at McKinley classes were out but there were still several cars in the parking lot do all of the extracurricular activities.  He parked his cherry red corvette close to Kurt’s Navigator. As he got out, several cheerleaders coming out of practice tried to flirt with him. One whistled and yelled, “Hot car _and_ hot guy!  What’s your name, handsome?” 

Sebastian smirked, “Thanks Darlin’, but I’m not interested.” 

“What’s wrong?  Hot cheerleaders aren’t your type?”  A second cheerleader commented. 

“Oh, I love cheerleaders.  But, uh, I play for the other team.”

“You go to Carmel or something?”  The third cheerleader asked.

Sebastian threw his head back and laughed.  “No Darlin’. Public school is not for me. And by ‘other team’, I mean I’m gay.”

“Figures!”, the first cheerleader said, and all three cheerleaders sighed.  

Sebastian started to to head in and then turned around and asked, “Ladies, can you point me in the direction of the choir room?”   

The girls giggle, “You’re here for Kurt, aren’t you?  Figures. He is smokin’ hot too… Although from the looks of things, someone tried to change that.  It wasn’t you, was it?”

“Of course not.  I couldn’t hurt him like that if I tried.” 

“Alright, if you say so.  But I’d still stay clear of Coach Sylvester if I were you.  She’s out for blood. Go inside, take a right, left, and then another right.  Good luck, good lookin’.” The first cheerleader added. 

“Thanks, ladies.” 

Sebastian headed in, following the directions of the cheerleaders.  He could hear music as he turned the second corner. Finding the choir room, he leaned up against the frame of the door and listened to brunette powerhouse belt out the last of Whitney Houston’s I Didn’t Know My Own Strength.  He heard her sing...

 

_I didn't know my own strength_

_And I crashed down, and I tumbled_

_But I did not crumble_

_I got through all the pain_

_I didn't know my own strength_

_Survived my darkest hour_

_My faith kept me alive_

_I picked myself back up_

_Hold my head up high_

_I was not built to break_

_I didn't know my own strength_

_I was not built to break_

_I got to know my own strength_

 

He spotted Kurt right away.  He was seated in the middle surrounded by his brothers a cute, petite girl who he assumed was Sugar. _If that’s not Sugar, it should be.  The name suits her_ , he thought.  Kurt was sitting with his eyes closed, listening to the words of the song.  When he opened his eyes, he noticed Sebastian right away. Kurt’s eyes lit up.  “Bas!” Kurt squealed as he shot up out of his seat and ran toward Sebastian. Sebastian couldn’t smile any bigger if he tried.  Kurt practically jumped into Bas’ arms. “What are you doing here?!”

“I couldn’t stay away.  I came to see for myself that you’re doing okay.”  Sebastian said as they embraced. 

“I’m okay.  Better now that you’re here.”  He leaned back so he could look at Sebastian.  Lots of people stared, but no one said anything.  “It wasn’t as bad as I had imagined. My friends making a human wall around me all day, may have helped.” He said and gave a small chuckle, and turned back to look at his friends who were all silent and staring.  Finn, Sam, and Puck were grinning. Sebastian looked at Kurt’s friends and smiled, nodding to Kurt’s brothers. 

Kurt took hold of Sebastian’s hand and led him to the front of the choir room.  “Everyone, this is Sebastian.”, he said shyly. 

“ _The_ Sebastian?”  Santana asked.  She wasn’t sure how she felt.  If he really did save Kurt, then she was grateful.  But she wondered why he came all the way to Lima. And what’s with the hand holding?   

“Yes, Santana.   _The_ Sebastian.”  Kurt answered.  

Mr. Schuester was the first to speak up.  “Well, Sebastian, on behalf of the entire Glee Club, thank you for coming to Kurt’s rescue.  We are so grateful that you showed up when you did.” Mr. Schuester smiled and turned to the group, “Dismissed everybody.”

Most of the Glee Club introduced themselves or greeted Sebastian on their way out the door.  The brothers and Sugar stayed until most were gone. Kurt pulled Sugar over to where Sebastian was talking to the boys so he could introduce her.  “Bas, this is my best girl, Sugar. Sugar, this is Sebastian.” 

Sebastian gave her a warm smile and greeted, “It’s nice to meet you, Sugar.  Kurt speaks very highly of you.” He held out his hand for her to shake. 

Sugar was shyly biting her bottom lip and blushed a little at the introduction.  She was going to shake his hand, but instead jumped up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as her feet dangled.  “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for saving my Angel.” Sebastian handled it like a trooper, and just hugged her back for as long as she wanted to hold on.  He understood how important Kurt must be to her. Kurt stood and grinned at two of his favorite people finally meeting. 

When they let go of each other, Sugar stepped back and looked at Sebastian.  She leaned over and stage whispered to Kurt without taking her eyes off of Sebastian,  “Wow, Angel. You do realize he’s, like, really good looking, right? Like, _really_ good looking.” 

Kurt chuckled and blushed,  “Of course I realize that, Sugar.  I’m not blind.” 

Sebastian blushed a bit, smiled, and asked Kurt, “Would you like to go for some coffee?”  He turned to the group, “ Everyone is welcome.” Sebastian really wanted to have Kurt to himself, but he also refused to be like Blaine and keep Kurt away from his friends.  He wasn’t ‘his’ anyway. 

“I’d love to.”  Kurt smiled. “Sugar you’re coming, right?” 

“Sure, Angel!  I’d like to get to know Sebastian, in case he’s around for awhile.”  She winked at Sebastian. “Plus, I need more time with my bestie.” Sugar said as she linked her arm through Kurt’s. Sebastian winked at her, but Kurt didn’t notice.

“Boys, what about you?”  Kurt asked. 

“I told Rachel I would go to Between The Sheets with her.  I was going to pick her up after I took you guys home, but if you let me drive your Navigator, I could leave from here….?  If we have time, we could meet you there?” Finn said hopefully. 

“Okay, but be careful with my baby, Finn.”  Kurt said as he handed the keys over. “Puck?  Sam?” 

Sam nodded yes, and Puck said, “Yeah, Princess, I’d love to go.  Since Finn was our ride, can we ride with you, Sugar?” 

“Sure, Puck.  Let’s go get our coffee on!”  Sugar smiled. 

When everyone was walking out, Sugar still had her arm linked with Kurt as they walked. Sebastian bit down the jealousy.  He wanted so badly to hold Kurt’s hand. It had become their thing, and he felt strange being around Kurt without touching him somehow.  He knew he shouldn’t feel this way. He knew they were just friends. And even if they weren’t, Kurt would still need some space sometimes.  But that didn’t mean that he had to like it. _Suck it up, Smythe._ _He’s probably not ready for a boyfriend so soon._  

When they reached the parking lot, Sebastian notices the pink 55’ Chevy convertible.  He hadn’t noticed it before since he had parked on the other side of Kurt’s large Navigator.  He smiled and said, “Sugar, that _has_ to be your car, right?” 

Sugar giggled, “Of course it is!” 

Sebastian smiled, “It’s totally you.”  They approached her car. “Where did you find it?”

“Daddy found it for me in Cincinnati at a car show.  It wasn’t in very good shape, but he bought it anyway and gave it to me for my 16th birthday.”

Sebastian ran his hand over the hood, “Whoever fixed it up did an amazing job.”

“Well, duh!  That’s how I met Angel!”  Sugar beamed.

Sebastian froze.  He slowly turned toward Kurt, who was standing back watching the exchange with a grin on his face.  “You did this?!” To say Sebastian was shocked was an understatement.

“Well, not _all_ of it… I mean… a lot of it.  But not all of it.” Kurt blushed.  “My dad owns Hummel Tire and Lube, sooo…” 

“Yeah, I guess I knew that about Burt because of his campaign… I guess I just forgot.  I didn’t know you worked there.” Sebastian grinned. 

“Full time in the summer, part time during the school year.” 

Sugar stage whispered again, “He looks really hot in coveralls.”

Sebastian cleared his throat, “I bet he does.”  He could only imagine Kurt in coveralls working on a car.  It was not helping him keep his mind on just being friends with Kurt. 

Kurt blushed and then pointed toward the corvette.  “So is this yours? And do I get to go for a ride?”

“Yes and yes.  Any time you want, Babe.”  Sebastian smiled and opened the door for Kurt to get in.   “We’ll see everyone there!”

 

………...

 

Once at Lima Bean, everyone ordered their coffee and went to sit down.  Kurt and Sebastian sat next to each other with their backs to the windows.  Kurt was a bit nervous about being in a non-school public place for the first time since the attack. He didn’t want to face the room where everyone could see his injuries, but he also felt safest where no one could sneak up behind him.  So, backs to the window won. Sugar and Puck sat across from them, and Sam sat on the end of the table, by Puck and Kurt.

“Are you okay?”  Sebastian quietly asked Kurt when they sat.

“Yeah. I’m okay.”  Kurt answered. He grabbed Sebastian’s hand under the table. 

“We can take this to go, if you want.”  Seb said. 

“No, it’s okay.  I’m fine. I don’t want to go sit at home.  Being here is good for me.” Kurt said shyly. 

Sugar quickly changed the subject.  “So Sebastian, do you have a boyfriend?  Ooorrr...Girlfriend?”

Kurt and Sebastian both blushed and choked on their coffee.  Puck and Sam just laughed. Leave it to Sugar. “I can see why you’re best friends.”  Sebastian chucked. “She doesn’t beat around the bush either. No, I do not have a boyfriend.  And I have never had, nor will I ever have, a girlfriend.”

“Hmmm”  Sugar winked at him.

“Is there more?”  Sebastian chuckled again. 

“Well, yeah.  I have a million questions.”  Sugar said. “After all, you appear out of nowhere less than a week and a half ago.  You came to Angel’s rescue...twice. You’re gay. You’re hot as hell. You drive an awesome car.  And you seem to make my Angel smile… And yet, that’s all I know. So, yeah, I have a million questions. “ 

“Sugar!”  Kurt was so embarrassed.   

“It’s okay, Babe.  Well, what would you like to know?”  Sebastian 

Sugar thought for a few seconds.  “Where are you from? What do your parents do?  Do you have any siblings?” 

Sebastian smiled.  “So the basics, huh?  I’m originally from Westerville, but when I was younger and during several summers, I spent time with my mother’s family in Paris.  I just moved back here a few weeks ago after spending 3 years in Paris helping my mom take care of my aunt. We moved back after she passed away.”  Kurt squeezed his hand. “My dad is a state’s attorney and my mother used to be in fashion, before taking time off to be with her sister. I have a sister, Leah, who is 14.  She’s a freshman at a girl’s boarding school in Indiana. She’s one of my best friends and absolutely beautiful, so I worry about her a little more than I probably should. Anything else?”  He smiled. 

“Hmmm.”  Sugar grinned.  “What’s with you calling Angel ‘Babe’?”   

Kurt blushed,  but Sebastian just stroked Kurt’s nuckles with his thumb.  “Well, I don’t know how or when I started saying it. It just feels… natural.”

“Okay!”  Sam said, trying to change the subject, but he couldn’t think of what to say. 

“No, wait.”  Sebastian said.  “I have questions too!”  The group smiled. “Where did the names Angel and Princess come from?” 

Kurt sighed.  “You all are just trying to make me blush.” 

“Red looks good on you, Babe.”   

“Well,”  Sugar smiled, “When Daddy and I took my car to the Hummel’s shop, we had just moved here from Cincinnati, and I didn’t really know anyone.  And then out walks this hottie in coveralls that were completely dirty, yet he had this beautiful clean skin and perfectly styled hair.” She giggled, “He looked like an angel walking out to greet us.  Then his voice, when he spoke… “ she sighed dreamily, “Yep. Angel! We’ve been friends ever since!” 

“ _Best_ friends, Sweetie.”  Kurt smiled. “And how could I not just love her when she chose a car like that and then decided to paint it pink!?”  Everyone laughed. They really were made for each other. 

“I love it.  And what about ‘Princess’, Puck?  I’m a bit surprised that you get away with that.”  Sebastian said with a questioning look. Kurt and Puck laughed. 

“Well, once upon a time, _I_ was the one rescuing my Princess.”  Puck grinned and looked at Kurt, who shyly looked down and played with the lid of his coffee.  “Kurt was being...bullied… and I intervened. I called him a damsel afterwards, and he just about bit my head off.”  He choked out a laugh, “So I said, ‘Calm down, Princess!’ and it just kind of stuck. I have no idea how I get away with it.”  Puck smiled at Kurt.

 “I don’t know either, Noah.”  Kurt smiled.

 “Probably just like you’re the only one who can call Puck ‘Noah’”  Sam smiled. 

“Well, it’s getting late, and it doesn’t look like Finn and Rachel are going to make it.  Do you guys want to come back to my place for dinner?”

Everyone gratefully accepted the invitation.

On the ride home, Sebastian smiled at Kurt, “I really like your friends.  Sugar is amazing.” 

Kurt smiled back,  “She really is. I’m sorry if she asked to many questions.  Or if any of the questions were too personal. She doesn’t have much of a filter.” 

“It’s was fine.  I promise. I like her a lot.  The guys too. They care about you a lot, Kurt.  You can see it in how they look at you, act around you, speak about you and to you.  You’re lucky.” Sebastian said. 

“I really am.  I went from having no one but Dad, to suddenly having a dozen close friends when I joined Glee two years ago.  They weren’t all overnight friendships, like with Sugar, but they got there eventually.” Kurt reflected some more.  “I made some friends at Dalton too. Not as close as my New Direction friends, but still… A friend is a friend, I guess.  Nick and Jeff are great. They are who I was closest to. Trent and Thad were nice too. I didn’t get to know as many of the guys as I would have liked.” 

“You were there an entire year?”  Sebastian wasn’t sure how someone like Kurt couldn’t make more friends if he was there for so long.   

“I transferred there in November.  I didn’t really realize it at the time, but Blaine didn’t like when I spent too much time with the other guys.  Even before we were together. It kind of stopped me from getting close to a lot of people.” 

Sebastian sighed, “I’m sorry, Kurt.  No one should ever keep you from the other people in your life.”  He paused, and then asked, “So, Dalton doesn’t usually take transfers mid-year.  Was the bullying that bad? Was it Karofsky?... I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want.” 

“No, it’s okay.  I’m fine with talking about it now.”  Kurt turned toward Sebastian. “Yes, it was that bad.  It had gone beyond getting slushies in the face, being thrown in dumpsters,  and being shoved against lockers. I was being _thrown_ againstlockers.  I would come home with bruises all over. One time, Puck walked in on me as I was undressing to get in the shower.  I had just taken my shirt off, and he saw all of the bruises. He flipped out.  He told Finn, and that’s when they started keeping more of an eye on me.  The next week was when Puck saw it happen and threatened the jock who did it. That’s when the whole ‘Princess’ thing started.” Kurt noticed that Sebastian was squeezing the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles were turning white.  “It’s okay, Bas.” 

Sebastian pulled the car over, put it in park, and turned to look at Kurt, “No, it’s not, Babe.”  He sighed in frustration. “It’s not okay that you had to go through any of that. Is that why you transferred, then?”

Kurt looked at him, unsure if he should tell him or not.  

“Babe?  Is that why?” 

Kurt closed his eyes for a few seconds.  “No, not really.” He opened his eyes and looked at Sebastian.  “Karofsky wasn’t the only one doing all of the bullying, but he was the main one.  And one day, I had had enough and stood up to him. I followed him into the locker room, yelling at him, like I do so well.  And he… kissed me.” 

Sebastian closed his eyes and shook his head.  “Babe…”

“And because of that, he freaked out, and things got worse. He wasn’t, isn’t, out.  I guess he was scared. He… He threatened to kill me.” Kurt added that last part quietly.

“God, Babe!”  Sebastian ran his hands through his hair.  “God, I am so sorry. You’ve been through hell.  I wish there’s something I could have done…” Sebastian was so frustrated he didn’t know what to do with himself or what to say.

“Sebastian. You were in another country when that happened.  We didn’t even know each other. And you  _were_ there when I needed you!  You saved me from the worst hell I could have gone through!  Don’t you see that?” Kurt needed him to understand what he had done for him. 

“It’s not enough.”  Sebastian was close to tears.  “Kurt, it’s not enough. I want to go back and make it all go away for you.  It absolutely breaks my heart. I hate the thought of you going through any of that.” 

Kurt let a tear fall, and then reached for Sebastian’s hand.  “Bas. Those horrible things that happened to me could have been worse.  But I had friends step up and make it better.”

“Not enough, Kurt.  You still had to transfer.  And then you still got hurt last weekend.  It kills me that any of that happened at all.”  He squeezed Kurt’s hand, afraid to let go.

Kurt had thought a lot about this over the last couple of days. “Bas.  If none of that happened, I would have never met _you_.”  Another tear fell. “They say everything happens for a reason.  I think maybe you are the reason. It’s how I ended up here. With you.”  

Sebastian let his own tear fall.  “I don’t know what to say, Kurt. I would give anything for you to have not had to go through any of that.  But at the same time, I can’t imagine my life without you. I know that sounds crazy. We only met a two weekends ago, but… but I feel like I’ve known you forever.  And at the same time, I don’t know nearly enough about you.  I want to know it all.  I want nothing more than to take away all of your pain, and make you happy.”

Kurt unbuckled and leaned over.  He and Sebastian embraced. They both held on to each other like they were afraid to let go.  “Bas, you do make me happy. Just being with you makes me happy.”  Kurt wanted to tell Sebastian more.  Sebastian wanted to tell Kurt that he didn’t understand. He didn’t want to make him happy _now_.  He wanted to make him happy forever.

Sebastian gave him another squeeze, “We better get to your house before they send out a search party.  They probably think I kidnapped you.”

Before sitting back completely, Kurt ran his hand through Sebastian’s hair and kissed him on the cheek.  “Okay, Bas.” He took a deep breathe and willed himself not to kiss Sebastian more. “Let’s go.”


	8. Step 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner at the Hummel's. Puck uses his Puck-wisdom to set both boys straight about their feelings by the end of the night, and they each try to convince him of his feelings for Sugar. They find out what happened with Blaine, and try to deal with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too much into Blaine, but at least we have some insight into it. I titled this chapter Step 1 because the first step in a relationship is admitting there are feelings there in the first place. More to come soon! Comments and Kudos always appreciated!

  1. Kurt texted his dad to tell him that he and Sebastian had stopped for a few minutes to talk in private, and that they would be there in just a little bit.  He knew his dad was extra worried about him this week.



**To Dad:**

Sam, Puck, and Sugar should be there by now.  Sebastian and I are on our way. Stopped to talk in private.  I made and froze some lasagna yesterday, so that’s what we’ll have for dinner.  Be home soon. 

 **To Kurt:**  

Okay, Bud.  Everything okay?   

**To Dad:**

Yes, it’s fine.  

**To Kurt:**

Coach is here to see you.  Just a warning… 

**To Dad:**

Great.  Thanks.

 

Kurt sighed and said, “Well, I guess Coach Sylvester is at the house waiting for me.  This should be interesting.” Sebastian chuckled. Secretly he hoped Kurt would join the Cheerios.  He would love to see Kurt in a cheerleading uniform.

When the boys arrived at the house, they walked in holding hands.  Both looked like they had been crying, but they looked happy enough.  Burt asked softly, “You boys okay?”

Sebastian nodded yes, and Kurt softly said, “Yes, we’re okay.”

Coach saw the red eyes that now accompanied the black eye and cuts on Kurt’s face.  She saw them holding hands and was beyond pissed. She walked up to Sebastian and got uncomfortably close to him.  Looking down her nose at Sebastian, she narrowed her eyes and growled, “Who are you? And why do you feel you have any right to touch my Porceline?” 

Sebastian could feel her breath on his face.  She was intimidating, he’d give her that much.  But he appreciated the fact that she was protective of Kurt.  He smirked and opened his mouth to answer, but before any words could come out, Burt put his hand on Sue’s shoulder and and pulled her back a bit as he said, “Sue, this is Sebastian.  We spoke of him at the meeting. Remember?” Coach just grunted. He shook his head and turned to Sebastian and clapped him on the shoulder. “Welcome back, kid. It’s good to see you again.”   

“Thank you, Burt.  It’s good to see you too.” 

Coach looked at Kurt.  He continued to hold on tight to Sebastian.  “Don’t get out the fine china, Porcelain, I’m not staying for dinner.  I came to bring you your Cheerios uniform and bag. Wear it tomorrow. Nobody messes with my Cheerios.”

“Um, Coach, I haven’t even tried out…”

“No need.  You won me Nationals two years ago.  I expect it again this year. See you tomorrow… _In uniform_ , Porcelain.”  Coach turned back to Sebastian and looked him up and down.  “You really the one who helped my Porcelain?” 

“Yes, ma’am,”  Sebastian said with only a slight smirk.  He was kind of proud of himself for not smirking at her too much.  He knew how that could come across. 

“Well then…” Coach nodded her approval and was out the door.   

Sebastian looked at Kurt with a questioning look.  Kurt just said, “Yeah, she’s always like that. She cares about her Cheerios a lot.  Goes about it in a weird way sometimes, I guess. But she has a soft spot for me, I think.” 

“Well that’s understandable.”  Sebastian winked at Kurt. “And you have so many nicknames!”  Sebastian, Kurt, and Burt all laughed.

“Everyone is waiting in the living room.  Come on, boys.” Burt smiled.

Once he greeted everyone in the living room, Kurt took a minute to sneak away to the kitchen to preheat the oven and get the lasagna out of the freezer.   When he turned around from the oven, Puck was standing there. “Noah! You scared me. Don’t sneak up on me like that.” Kurt said as he held his hand to his chest.

“I wasn’t sneaking, Princess.  You must be deep in thought to have not heard me.  You okay? Want to talk about it?” 

He paused and then nodded, “Actually, yeah.  That might help.” Kurt sighed and motioned to the table for them to sit.  He grabbed a couple of waters and handed one to Puck. He spoke quietly so that no one in the living room could overhear them. Looking down at the table he said, “I...I don’t know what to do about Sebastian.”  Puck raised an eyebrow and leaned forward. “I like him. Like, a lot. But I’m afraid he doesn’t feel the same way. I’m too fragile right now to put my feelings out there and get denied. I couldn’t handle it if I told him I liked him, and he didn’t feel the same way, then suddenly he’s gone… Scared away.  I couldn’t bare him not being in my life.” Kurt ran his hand over his face and then finally looked up at Puck. 

Puck was smiling ear to ear.  “You are so ridiculous.”

Kurt looked offended.  “What?!”

“Princess, Sebastian is totally falling in love with you.  Maybe it’s your black eye keeping you from seeing it.... You know, with everything else going on.  To the rest of us, it’s clear as day. Why do you think he came to see you today?” 

“Well, uhm… He said he was worried.” 

“Yeah.  You can keep telling yourself that’s the _only_ reason, but it’s not.  Talk to him, Princess. I have a feeling it’s going to have to be you who brings it up.” 

“Why me?” Kurt frowned.

“Because, Princess.”  Puck sighed. “Like you said, you’re kind of in a fragile state right now.  He probably doesn’t think you’re ready for a boyfriend after what just happened.  He may not know Blaine was close to getting kicked to the curb already before it happened.  Or maybe he thinks you’re just really grateful to him for saving you. But I bet you anything, he likes you.”

Kurt smiled at him and leaned forward.  “People sure do underestimate you, Noah Puckerman.  Now, when are you going to get _your_ act together and ask her out?” 

Puck stood and grinned as he walked away, “I can’t hear you!”  He said in a sing-song manner. 

Sebastian passed Puck in the doorway to the kitchen and grinned at Kurt.  “Puck not taking your advice?”

Kurt looked surprised.  “How did you know I was giving him advice?” 

Sebastian smiled, “Oh, I know you were telling him to ask Sugar out.  First, it’s probably the only thing he would have that kind of reaction to. Second, you love them both and want them to be happy.”  Kurt was grinning. “And third, they are totally made for each other.” 

“RIGHT!!!?”  Kurt sat forward.  “How do they not see that?!”

“Maybe they do, but are too afraid.” 

Kurt sat back and thought about that.  He could definitely relate. He was afraid too.  He wondered if he and Sebastian were that obvious as well, since Puck saw something about Sebastian that Kurt himself didn’t quite see.  He was shaken from his thoughts when the oven beeped. He got up to put the lasagna in. Sebastian watched. He tried not to notice Kurt bend over at the task.  He inwardly cursed himself for even thinking of Kurt like that. Especially so soon after something so traumatic had happened.

When Kurt returned to the table, he brought Sebastian a water of his own.  “Are you okay?” He asked, wondering what Sebastian was thinking about. 

“Hmm?  Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.  And you? Are you okay?” 

“Yep.  You know…. I’m glad you’re here, Sebastian.”

Sebastian reached across the table and grabbed Kurt’s hand.  “Me too.”

 

…………

 

Finn and Carol had both made it home in time for dinner, and everyone was enjoying their meal together.  There were a lot of questions for Kurt about how his first day back had gone. But mostly, it was a bunch of teenagers having fun and laughing.  Often at each other. Burt sat back and listened and laughed. He felt so lucky that both of his son’s had such a great support system. He didn’t want to bring the mood down, but he thought it may be best to have those who loved Kurt the most there with him when he brought up Blaine. 

Once everyone was finished with their meal, Burt cleared his throat.  “Um, everyone. I have some news about Blaine.” Sebastian reached over and grabbed Kurt’s hand.  Everyone looked at the boys and then back to Burt. “He was kept in the hospital until Monday morning.  He had been knocked out, which you knew.” Kurt squeezed Sebastian’s hand, and Sebastian looked down at his lap. “He had a concussion and a broken nose.  They kept him as a precaution since it had taken him so long to wake up.” Burt cleared his throat and looked at Sebastian and Kurt. “Boys, dont even waste one second of your lives regretting that, or ever feeling bad about that.”  They both nodded and everyone agreed. 

Burt continued, “He was arrested at the hospital early Monday morning.  He was taken straight to the Juvenile Detention Center. Mr. Smythe was kind enough to get us the best lawyer he could.  We are trying to have Blaine tried as an adult, since he’s 17. Also, even if things go south in court, he will no longer be welcomed back at Dalton.  So Seb, you don’t need to worry about that.”

Both boys nodded that they understood.  And then Finn asked, “How much time could he get if he’s found guilty?” 

Burt answered, “Well, it depends on if he is tried as an adult or not, as well as what, if any, charges his lawyers may get the thrown out.  It all depends on so much. But maximum, if tried as an adult, he could get up to five years in prison, a fine, and be declared a sex offender for the rest of his life.” 

A tear fell from Kurt’s eyes and he squeezed Sebastian’s hand.  “May we be excused?” 

“Of course, son.”

Kurt stood and pulled Sebastian with him.  He never let go of Sebastian’s hand, and lead them to his bedroom.  Sebastian followed willingly. When they finally stopped, he turned and looked Sebastian in the eyes.  Neither boy said a word. Sebastian put his hand on Kurt’s face and wiped away a tear with his thumb, taking care not to hurt his bruises.  He wrapped his other arm around Kurt’s waist, and gently pulled him into a close embrace. Kurt rested his head on Sebastian’s shoulder, wrapped his arms around him and sighed.  Sebastian kissed the top of Kurt’s head and nuzzled against his hair. Sebastian rubbed circles on the small of Kurt’s back with his thumb, and then took a deep breath in and closed his eyes.  He wanted to memorize the feeling of having Kurt in his arms. 

The boys stood like that for a long time, until they heard a knock on the door.  Even then, they didn’t let go of each other. Burt slowly made his way down the steps.  “Are you okay, boys?” 

Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s back and looked down to him.  Kurt shook his head and said, “Yeah, it’s just a lot to think about.  A lot to take in. And, honestly, I’m tired of thinking about it. I hate that he gets my time and energy still.”

“I know, kiddo, but we have to keep fighting, until that asshole gets what’s coming to him.”   

“I know, Dad.  I want that too.” 

Sebastian said, “You’re probably a bit overwhelmed, Babe.  It’s been a long day for you. And very emotional, considering it was your first day back to school, then finding out about Blaine.  Why don’t you come upstairs with me. You can say goodnight to everyone, and we’ll get out of your hair and you can get some rest.” Sebastian still had not let go completely.   

Burt looked at Sebastian with admiration.  He could see how much Sebastian cared about Kurt.  He was already grateful to him for saving Kurt from Blaine, but he was also grateful to him for continuing to be there for his son.  He had a feeling that something beautiful was going to bloom out of this friendship. Maybe it already was.

“Good idea.”  Burt said. “Take a few minutes if you need it, Bud.  Come up soon though, okay?” 

“Alright.”  Kurt said. Burt headed back up the stairs with a grin on his face.   

Kurt sighed and turned back toward Sebastian.  “I don’t want you to leave.” He said as he averted his eyes from Sebastian’s. 

Sebastian put his hand under Kurt’s chin and turned his head to make him look him in the eye.  He rubbed his cheek with his thumb again. “I don’t want to go either, Babe. But, I’ll see you again soon, okay?  You really need the rest, and I have a long drive ahead of me. I promise to text. You can call or text me any time, okay?”  The sad look on Kurt’s face was killing Sebastian. He didn’t want to ever leave him. 

Kurt just nodded his head.  It was all he could do. If he said anything, he would probably say too much.   He tried not to cry. All he wanted was to stay there in Sebastian’s arms. It was the most perfect place he could imagine. 

After a few minutes, they both made their way upstairs. As soon as they were back in the living room, Sugar slowly approached Kurt.  She put a hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay, Angel?” 

Kurt smiled softly at her.  “Yeah, Sugar. I’m okay. I think it’s just been a long day.” 

Puck gave a lopsided smile and said, “Yeah, Princess.  You have to be tired. We’ll get out of your hair, and let you rest.”   

While everyone was saying their goodbyes, Sebastian quietly asked Sugar if he could give Puck a ride home instead of her.  “Sure. But you do know he’s straight, right?” She said with a wink. 

Sebastian smiled at her and wrinkled his nose.  “Yeah, he’s not my type, but thanks for the heads up.” He just shook his head.  Sugar just wiggled her eyebrows at him. 

As all of the house guests made their way out the door, Sebastian said, “Hey, Puck.  Mind if I give you a ride home? I’d like to talk to you.”

Puck wiggled his eyebrows and said, “Sure, but you know I’m straight, right?” _Oh my god, they are so made for each other_ , Sebastian thought.   

Sebastian rolled his eyes.  “Yeah, just get in.” 

The boys made sure Sugar had gotten in her car and had safely hit the road before beginning their drive.  “Man, this is a sweet ride, Dude.” 

“Thanks.”  Sebastian grinned. 

“So what’s up?”  Puck asked. 

“I need to ask you a favor. I know Kurt has Sam and Finn.  And obviously, he has you, Sugar, and the rest of Glee. I think all of you are amazing, and I am so glad he has you.”

“Mhmm… But?”  Puck prompted. 

“But you have noticed things happening to Kurt before others did.  Kurt told me about the bullying tonight. And that you were the one who saw the bruises, and confronted the bully at school.  Maybe it’s all circumstances, but I don’t think so. I think you’re perceptive about stuff like that.” 

Puck was looking out the window thinking.  “Yeah, I guess. I just consider myself an observer.  I usually sit in the back of class and watch. So I guess it’s pretty easy for me to see when something is different.”  Puck turned to Sebastian, “So what is the favor you need?” 

Sebastian paused for minute, “I guess I just need you to keep doing what you’re doing, but keep me updated?  I’m not talking about going behind Kurt’s back. I won’t betray his trust like that. I guess I trust you the most to notice if something seems off or if he needs something.  And if it’s something that you think I could help with, would you let me know? 

Puck smiled, “Sure, Man. Give me your phone and I’ll give you my info.”  

“Here…”  Sebastian handed Puck his phone,  “It’s killing me that I will be so far away.  I want to be there for him, ya know?”

Puck smirked, “Of course it bothers you.  You care about him. Probably more than you’re willing to admit.”  

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  Sebastian asked as he pulled in front of Puck’s house.

“Dude, it just means that you and Princess are the only ones who seem to be blind around here.  It is so obvious that you two have feelings for each other.” 

Sebastian sat and stared at Puck.  “You think Kurt has feelings for me?”  He finally blinked. “As in, likes me?” 

Puck laughed, “You two are so clueless!”  He got out of the car, but then leaned back down to the window.  “I told Kurt he would probably have to be the one to bring it up.  But try to talk to him, okay?”

Sebastian smiled. “Sure, Puck. And, uhmm… If what you are saying is true, we aren’t the only ones around here who are blind.  You should ask her out. You really would be good together.”

“Not you too!” Puck whined.  He turned to head into the house and threw his hands up in the air like he just gave up.  

Sebastian just shook his head and laughed.

 

………………

 

When Sebastian returned to Dalton, Nick and Jeff were both in the room snuggling under the blankets.  “Oh my god, you guys could at least light a candle or use air freshener. It smells like sex in here.”  Seb whined. 

“Sorry, Seb.”  Nick answered sheepishly.  “We weren’t planning on it… It just sort of happened.” 

Sebastian rolled his eyes and smirked, “Yeah, yeah.” 

“Where have you been?  We didn’t see you at dinner.”  Jeff was curious… And hopeful that he knew the answer. 

“I went to see Kurt.  I had to check and see if he was really okay.  It was his first day back to school today, so I figured he was really stressed.”

Jeff and Nick gave a knowing look.  “That was thoughtful. And how was he?  How did school go?”

Sebastian had changed into a t-shirt and and sleep pants, not caring that he was doing it in front of both boys.  He plopped down on his bed, “School went pretty well, I guess. His friends made sure nobody bothered him. I surprised him in the choir room at the end of Glee practice.  Got to meet all of his friends. They seem great.” He turned on his side and propped up his head to look at Niff. “Sugar is hilarious. She’s his best friend. She’s a little spit-fire who drives a pink 55’ Chevy.”  He chuckled. “She’s good for Kurt.” 

Nick and Jeff both chuckled.  “She sounds like a perfect match. He mentioned her some last year, but he never said much about his home life before the subject was changed.”  Jeff’s tone changed at the last comment.

Sebastian misunderstood.  “Why would he be ashamed of anything in his home life?  Everyone is pretty awesome. They all love him, and support him.”   

Nick frowned, “That’s not what Jeffie means.  He means Blaine made him change the subject or changed it for him.  We don’t even think Kurt realized it was happening.”

“Son of a bitch.  That fucking asshole strikes again.”  Sebastian rolled onto his back and ran his hands down his face in frustration.  “Burt said he was arrested. So that’s good news. He definitely won’t be coming back to Dalton. They’re trying to have him tried as an adult.  Could get up to 5 years. But, god, I just don’t think it’s enough. Not after what I saw. And I didn’t even see it all. Jesus…” He shook his head.

“Seb, how is Kurt _really?_ ”  Nick sat up and faced Sebastian.  “I mean, if just seeing it bothers you this much, I can’t imagine what he is feeling.” 

Sebastian sighed.  “Well, he’s more upset about Blaine being violent than he is about the sexual assault part.  Not that he’s not upset about that too. But he’s reminded about the violence every time he looks in the mirror.  I guess he’s a bit jumpy around some people, although I haven’t seen that. Puck said their friend Santana went to hug him, but she looked upset, and Kurt was scared.  He and Finn had to step in.  I don’t know. When he found out about Blaine being arrested, and what might or might not happen, he just seemed tired.”

Nick said, “It’s got to be exhausting for him.  I can’t imagine.” 

Seb rolled back over to face them again.  “I just want to take it all away. Make it better.  I want him to be happy. I hate that he’s going through all of this.”

Jeff smiled softly at Sebastian, “You do know what all of that means, right?  I mean, you get it, don’t you?”

Sebastian rolled his eyes, “Of course I do.  I just can’t do anything about it. I can’t tell Kurt that I want more than friendship with him.  He’s just been through hell, and is already on emotional overload. It’s too soon.” 

Jeff sighed and shook his head.  “No, Sebastian. Love is like a refuge.  What you are doing now, being there for him, giving him a safe place with you... Holding his hand, hugging, talking, listening… It’s all boyfriend stuff.  You guys just haven’t labeled it yet.” Nick nodded in agreement.

“Huh.”  Seb said.  He hadn’t thought of it that way.  He still wasn’t sure it was the right time to say anything to Kurt about his feelings.  But he _did_ know he wasn’t going anywhere.  He was in it for the long haul. No matter what kind of label it was given.


	9. Leap of faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cooper shows up at Dalton and confronts Sebastian. Sebastian joins the Hummel-Hudson's for family dinner and finally asks Kurt a very important question that will change their relationship forever. Yay!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those not in US, Labor Day typically gives government employees, including schools, banks, etc. a three day weekend.  
> Comments and Kudos welcomed!

 

Wednesday came and went pretty uneventfully.  Kurt wore his cheerleader uniform to school, and was left alone.  Most people weren’t surprised about him rejoining the squad, since they all knew he helped them win Nationals a couple of years ago.  They also knew that whatever had happened to Kurt to cause his injuries, had Coach Sylvester up in arms. New Directions were also supportive.  They did, however, make him promise not to let it interfere with Glee.

Sebastian and Kurt texted and couple of times throughout the day and spoke on the phone that evening after dinner.  Kurt invited Sebastian to family dinner Friday night, and Sebastian gladly accepted the invitation. They were both looking forward to seeing each other again.

Thursday came, and that meant Warbler rehearsal.  It went well. Sebastian was up for a solo, and felt good about his song choices that he was thinking of using to audition.  He, of course, planned on asking Kurt his opinion as soon as he called him later that evening.

Nick and Jeff were going to audition for a duet and wanted Sebastian’s opinion, but Seb had slipped out of the practice room as soon as they were dismissed.  Sebastian was rounding the corner of the dorm common room when he collided head on with someone. They both stumbled backwards and the other man dropped the box he was carrying, spilling the contents.

“Watch it!” The guy huffed.

“Sorry.  I wasn’t expecting anyone to be there.  Most guys are still in the main building.  Let me help you get that.” Sebastian said as he helped the guy load things back into the box.

Sebastian thought it was strange that the guy was older than a student, but he was carrying things that obviously belonged to a student… Uniforms, books, toiletries. _He also isn’t old enough to be a parent.  Who is this guy?_  Sebastian wondered.

Nick and Jeff turned the corner and almost fell over Sebastian as he helped the guy repack the box.  “Sebastian! Oh my gosh, I almost face planted!” Nick said.

“Sebastian?”  The guy said as he looked Sebastian up and down and then looked at his cast.

“Oh my god. Cooper.”  Jeff said breathlessly.  “Sebastian, lets go.” Jeff looked worried.  “Now.”

_What is going on?  Nick obviously knows who this is.  Why does Jeff want me to leave so badly?_

“YOU are Sebastian?  You’re the asshole who knocked my brother out?  Gave him a concussion? _Lied_ to the police!?”

 _Oh.  That’s why.  This jerk is Blaine’s brother._   _He must be picking up Blaine’s things._

Sebastian tried to take the high road.  He didn’t say anything to Cooper. Nick put his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder and the group of boys tried to walk by and head to their rooms, without any further acknowledgements.  

Cooper stepped in front of Sebastian.  “I’m talking to you. Are you the same Sebastian?  You and that other little fucker, Kurt, are ruining Blaine’s life.”

Sebastian took a deep breath, trying to control his anger.  He stepped to the side, trying to get around Cooper. He was pissed, but he didn’t want to fight. Especially on school grounds.  The fact that his hand was in cast also didn’t help. It was either avoid the confrontation, or lose the confrontation.

“Look, man, I’m just trying to get back to my room.  Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Sebastian spoke as politely as he could muster.  

“I don’t think so.  I have questions, and you are going to give me answers.”  Cooper spat as he stepped up closer to Sebastian.

“Cooper, don’t.”  Nick said. He was trying to keep his cool.

“You and Jeff are no better, Nick!  You are all lying! What do you have against Blaine?  Is it that he gets too many solos?” He turned back toward Sebastian, “Or is it that you want Kurt for yourself?” 

At this point several other students, mostly Warblers, were headed back to their rooms when they saw what was going on.  Several of them gathered around. If Sebastian needed their help, they were going to be there for him. Especially after what this asshole’s brother did to Kurt.   Most of them knew Cooper, and didn’t really care for him. They weren’t going to let another Anderson mess with one of their own.

“Is there a problem here?”  Thad said as he stepped up next to Sebastian.

“No, it’s okay Thad.  There’s no problem here, is there Mr. Anderson?”  Sebastian smirked. “You see, Mr. Anderson, I’m sure you are smart enough to realize that coming onto private school property and assaulting a minor would not look good in court, now would it?  I’m sure your family has enough to deal with right now. Am I right?”

“Kiss my ass.  You’re nothing but a lying asshole.  When Blaine is found innocent, we will sue you for assault and slander.  You _and_ his lying ex-boyfriend.”  Cooper hissed. “Now get out my way.”  

The group of boys all parted to let Cooper through.  Two boys followed him to the exit to make sure he really left.

Sebastian let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Thanks for having my back, gentlemen.”  Then he gave a little chuckle. “Good thing he didn’t know I’m already 18!”

 

……………

 

Sebastian waited until after dinner to call Kurt.  He wanted to give himself time to calm down and gather his thoughts.  He thought about not telling Kurt that he had a run in with Cooper, but he wanted to always be fully honest with Kurt.  Lying by omission was still lying in his book. He didn’t want Kurt to hear about it from someone else, and then be upset with him for not telling him.  

Nick agreed to go to Jeff’s room for awhile so Sebastian could have some privacy when he called Kurt.  Sebastian sat back against the headboard, took a deep calming breath, and dialed Kurt’s number.

Kurt answered, “Hi, Bas!”

Sebastian smiled hearing Kurt’s voice.  It was so calming for him. “Hi, Babe. How was school today?  Getting easier as the week goes on?”

Kurt replied, “Yeah, I guess it is.  I still have my wall of friends around me all of the time.  They can’t do that forever. I may have them give me a little more space tomorrow.”

“Why don’t you have them wait until next week?  That way you have tomorrow and the rest of Labor Day weekend to heal.  You’ll probably be feeling more like yourself by the time next Tuesday rolls around.”

“Good idea.  So how was school for you?  Anything exciting happen?” Kurt asked.

“Well, it was interesting.”

“Yeah?  Why’s that?”  Kurt was curious.

“Well, I’m auditioning for a solo for Sectionals.  I’d like your opinion about the song choices. I thought maybe you could help me narrow it down.  But... “ Sebastian took another deep breath, “something else happened too.”

Kurt sat up.  Sebastian sounded like he was going to say something bad happened.  He tried to prepare himself. “Oh yeah? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah.  But, um, Cooper Anderson was there today.  He was picking up Blaine’s things from his dorm.  We literally ran into each other.”

“Oh my god.”  Kurt said quietly.

“It’s okay.  Everything ended fine.  I was helping him pick up the stuff that fell out of the box he was carrying when we collided.  I didn’t know who he was. Nick almost tripped over me when he and Jeff came around the corner. Nick startled and said my name as he tripped.  Cooper took one look at my cast and put two and two together.”

“What happened?”  Kurt sounded worried.

“Well, he was pretty pissed and said some things.”  Sebastian quickly added, “We tried our best to just keep walking and avoid confrontation, but he wasn’t having it.  By that time, a crowd had gathered. Mostly Warblers who knew who he was. I lied and told him that assaulting a minor on private school property wouldn’t look good in court and that his family was dealing with enough right now.”

“How was that a lie?”

“Because I’m not a minor.  I turned 18 a couple of days before I met you.”  Sebastian answered.

“Oh.  Well, Happy Belated Birthday.”  Kurt and Sebastian both laughed.

“Thanks, Babe.”

 

……………

 

Friday night dinner was great.  Everyone got along so naturally, and Sebastian always seemed to feel welcomed and at home in the Hummel-Hudson home.  The food was amazing, and Kurt even surprised Sebastian with some ‘Happy Belated Birthday’ cupcakes.

“Oh my gosh, these are amazing.”  Sebastian sighed after his first bite.  “Is there anything you can’t do?”

“Stand up to bullies and win?”  Kurt said lightheartedly with smirk.  “Sports?” He giggled.

“First of all, you have all of us now to help with the bullies.”  Sam kindly offered. “Plus, you should taste his chocolate chip cookies, Sebastian.”

“He can totally bribe Puck into doing whatever he wants with a plate of those cookies.  Besides, Dude, you were totally the best kicker McKinley has ever had. At least while we’ve been in school.”  Finn smiled.

Sebastian already knew Kurt was a kicker, since he had eavesdropped on their conversation at the Lima Bean a couple of weeks ago, but he didn’t want them to know that.  He raised his eyebrows, “A kicker, huh?”

Kurt blushed.  “Yeah, well. Only for a little while. I guess maybe sports isn’t totally out of the question when it comes to my abilities.”

“Cheerleading is totally a sport too, Babe.”  Sebastian added. “You have to be athletic to do everything cheerleaders are required to do.”  Kurt just smiled at him.

“Do you play any sports, Sebastian?”  Burt asked.

“Yeah, you’re built like an athlete.  I’m sure not all of that muscle is from singing and dancing.”  Sam added. It made Kurt chuckle to himself.

“Yes, actually.  I play lacrosse and soccer.  I wasn’t able to join Dalton’s lacrosse team because the season had already started by the time we returned to the states.  But I do plan on joining the soccer team in the spring. I also tend to spend a lot of time in the weight room. Helps me de-stress.”

“What position do you play?”  Burt asked.

“Attacker in lacrosse.  Goalie in soccer. In lacrosse, I like to score.  In soccer, I like to keep people from scoring.” He said with a smile.

The rest of the evening was spent watching a movie and playing video games.  Kurt was kicking butt at Madden, and Sebastian wasn’t at all surprised. Not much surprised him with Kurt anymore.  I was learning to expect the unexpected.

“Hey, Sebastian, want to join us tomorrow for our gaming marathon?  Mike and Puck will be coming over. Maybe Joe and Artie too.” Finn asked, hoping Sebastian would say yes.  Finn knew that there was something between Kurt and Sebastian. He knew they were good for each other, and was trying to get them to spend as much time together as possible.

“Thanks for the invitation, but I really can’t.  My parents are in Toledo overnight tonight for a fundraising dinner, and they won’t be back until the afternoon.  So, I’m going to Indiana in the morning to pick Leah up for the long weekend. I would have done it tonight, but they had some kind of pep rally thing going on at her school.”  Sebastian turned to Kurt. “Actually, I was going to see if you wanted to go with me? It’s about 2 and half hours from here. I could use the company.”

Kurt looked at his dad, who nodded yes.  “I’d love to, Bas. I can’t wait to meet Leah.”  

Burt said, “Kurt, why don’t you swing by Sebastian’s house and pick him up?  The three of you won’t fit comfortably in his corvette.” Kurt agreed.

“Sound good to me.  Here, let me type my address in your phone.”  He took Kurt’s phone. “Is 8 too early? That should get us there at 10:30ish.  We can stop for lunch on the way back.”

“Perfect.”  Kurt grinned.

They finished up one more round of gaming, and Kurt walked Sebastian to his car.  They hugged for a long time. “It was so good to see you again.” Kurt said.

“You too, Babe.  I wish I could see you every day.”  Sebastian said as leaned back to look at Kurt.  Seb put his hand on Kurt’s cheek and rubbed his thumb over the edge of the fading bruise.  “Your healing really well. Starting to look more like yourself.”

“Starting to feel more like myself too.”  Kurt grinned.

Sebastian smiled.  “Not much would make me happier.”  

“What _would_ make you happier?” Kurt said softly as he looked at Sebastian’s lips.  

Sebastian closed his eyes, hoping that what he was about to say did not ruin everything.  He couldn’t lose Kurt… But he also didn’t know if he could torture himself any more by not at least trying for more. He opened his eyes and looked at the boy who had won his heart.

  
“You, Kurt.”  Sebastian continued to gently caress Kurt’s cheek.  “Having you be mine. There’s nothing that would make me happier than that.”

Kurt’s breath hitched.  He looked Sebastian in the eyes and saw nothing but love and kindness.  He looked back at Sebastian’s lips. He put his hands on Sebastian’s waist and leaned up and gently pressed his lips to Sebastian’s.  He had never felt such a spark. It was like something you read about or see in a movie.

When he pulled away, Sebastian was smiling from ear to ear.  “So is that a ‘yes’?

Kurt smiled back, tilted his head innocently, winked and asked, “What was the question?”

Sebastian gave a small chuckle and shook his head.  “Kurt,” he paused. “Will you be my boyfriend?”

“Nothing would make me happier.”  Kurt said as leaned up and gave Sebastian a small chaste kiss on the lips.

Sebastian sighed.  “You’re going to be the death of me, Babe.  And I just can’t get enough.”

Kurt gave a little chuckle.  The boys said their final goodbyes and Kurt headed back inside.  When he reached the living room, he sang, “Guess who has a new boyfriend!”

“FINALLY!!”  Everyone answered at once.  

Kurt looked at them funny.  “Was it that obvious?”

“More than Sugar and Puck.  A lot more.” Sam answered.

“Wow.”

“I really like him, Kurt.  A lot. I think you’re good for each other.”  Burt said.

“He’s great, Honey.  I’m really happy for you.”  Carol added.

Kurt sighed dreamily, “Yeah.”  

Everyone in the room was smiling from ear to ear.

 

……..

 

A half and hour later when Sebastian got home, he texted his sister.

 

**To Leah:**

My _boyfriend_ and I will be there around 10:30 to pick you up.  Be nice.

**To Sebastian:**

OMG finally! I can’t wait to meet him!

 

Sebastian smiled as he fell back into bed.  He was so happy, he felt like he was floating.  He had never felt anything like it.


	10. Firsts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mostly fluff full of several firsts. Kurt meets Leah and Victoria, first trip to Oldenburg, Spring Grove, and seeing Kings Island. First "big" kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!  
> Just a super short chapter full of mostly fluff. I didn't go into too much detail in any of it. More to come tomorrow. FYI, Olderburg Academy is a real school. It is now co-ed though. I'm not sure if you can dorm there anymore, but you used to be able to. Also, Kings Island and Spring Grove are real places.

 

 

The next morning, Kurt woke up with a smile on his face.  He quickly showered, dressed, grabbed a bite to eat, and was out the door.  He stopped by Lima Bean and ordered himself and Sebastian a coffee. While waiting in line, a familiar voice spoke up from behind him.

“Mornin’ Fancy.”  Dave said.

“David!”  Kurt smiled.  “How are you?”  He couldn’t help but smile at the fact that he could comfortably talk to David now.  Last time they were at the Lima Bean, he tried to hide from him. A lot had changed in a short amount of time.

“Good.  You? You look like your healing pretty well.”

“I am.  What are you doing out and about so early?” Kurt asked.  

“Thought I’d get some caffeine in me before football practice.  I’m not a morning person.” He shrugged. “What about you? What’s got you out this early on a weekend?”

“I’m going with Sebastian to pick up his sister, Leah, at boarding school.  Thought we could use some caffeine for the drive.”

“So, Sebastian, huh?”  Dave smirked, trying to hide the pang of jealousy he felt.

“Yeah.”  Kurt smiled.  “We’re, uh, dating.”  Kurt smiled and blushed a little.  

Dave chuckled.  “It’s about time.  I could tell how much he cares about you just seeing him look at you.  Even before Scandals.”  He was trying to be happy for Kurt.  Sebastian seemed like a nice guy.

“Really?”  Kurt made a face.  “The only other time you would have seen us together was here…”

“Yeah.  So?”

“Oh, nothing.  I’m just surprised, that’s all.”  Kurt didn’t want to tell David that he had just met Sebastian that day.  That minute, actually. Could Sebastian really have looked at him like that even then?  He recalled the spark when they first touched hands. The feeling in his chest when he really took a minute to look in Sebastian’s eyes.  Maybe it _was_ true.

Kurt jumped a bit when his name was called for his coffee.  He took the cups and then said his goodbyes to David. “Take care, David.  Have fun at football. And David, thanks for being there for me last weekend.”

“No problem. Wish I could've done more. Have a safe trip, Fancy.  Concentrate on the road, not your boyfriend.”

“Easier said than done, David...”  He said as David smiled at him as he walked away, “Easier said than done.”

 

………….

 

Kurt followed the directions on his GPS app to the Smythe home.  This was no ordinary home. This was a mansion. Old French architecture was surrounded by beautiful well manicured gardens and a circle drive with a fountain in the middle.  There were other buildings behind the main house, but Kurt wasn’t sure what those were quiet yet. He thought perhaps a pool house or a guest house.

He went to the front, but before he could ring the doorbell, Sebastian opened the door.  They hugged right away, and Sebastian kissed Kurt’s forehead. “Good Morning, Babe.”

“Good Morning.  Are you ready?”

“Almost.  Let me put my shoes on quick.”  Sebastian ushered Kurt into the foyer.  His shoes were waiting at the bottom of the steps.

“You have a beautiful home.”  Kurt said as turned in a circle to see the grand foyer.  He knew Sebastian came from money since he goes to Dalton and drives a corvette, but this was a bit of a shocker.  

“Thanks.”  Sebastian said as he looked up from lacing his shoes. “It was my grandparents house.  We moved in when they decided to stay in France full time.” Sebastian walked over to Kurt and took his hand.  “All set.”

When they got in the car, Sebastian was happy to see that Kurt had gotten him a coffee.  “Mmmm, thanks. I was going to suggest we stop. This is perfect.” He took a sip. “You remember my coffee order?”

Kurt grinned.  “Yes. I have a knack for remembering things like that.  It’ll probably come in handy next year. I’ll probably have to be a waiter or barista to help pay for school.”

Sebastian smirked, “Where do you want to go?  What do you want to be?”

Kurt sighed, “The first question is easier than the second.  I definitely want to go to New York. No question about that.  But I don’t know what school yet, which kind of leads to the second question.  I don’t know what I want to be… Other than fabulous.” He winked at Sebastian who chuckled at him.

“That doesn’t seem like it will be an issue at all.”  He smiled. “What choices have you narrowed it down to?”

“Well, either performing arts or fashion design, so I could end up NYADA, NYU, Pace, Parsons… As long as I’m in New York.”  He smiled. “What about you? What do you want to do? Where do you want to go?”

Sebastian smiled, “That’s easy.  Columbia School of Medicine. I want to be a pediatrician.”

“Wow.  Really? That’s amazing.  You sound so sure.” Kurt was impressed.  He was also secretly thrilled that Sebastian wanted to be in New York as well, in case they were in this for the long haul.

“Well, helping take care of my Aunt Charlotte really opened my eyes to the importance of good medical care.  And I love children… So pediatrician it is.”

“Why Columbia?”  Kurt asked.

“It’s where both my father, and my grandfather went to school.  My father for law, my grandfather for medicine. They make me visit the campus every time we’re in New York.  I just fell in love with it. Both the college and the city.”

“Hmm.  I can’t wait.  It will be nice to be somewhere that I can just be me, and not have to worry about whether people accept me or not.  It hasn’t been easy being so ‘obviously gay’ in small town Ohio.”

Sebastian reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze.  “New York will be a nice change.”

“So, does Leah know about me?  Or is this going to be one big surprise when we get there.” He smiled.

“She knows everything, basically.  She knows how we met. She knows about Scandals.  She knows we’re together now.” Sebastian smiled and looked at Kurt.  “We’re really close. We talk or text every day.”

 

They spent the rest of the drive in either comfortable silence or sharing stories about their siblings.  When they were just north of Cincinnati, they passed Kings Island Amusement Park. “Look at all of those roller coasters!”  Kurt said.

“Kings Island!  I haven’t been there for a few years.  Have you ever been?” Sebastian asked.

“No, we usually head north to Cedar Fair.  It looks awesome though. We usually take 75 South to Cincinnati from Lima.  I’m not sure I’ve seen this...Ooh, a waterpark too!”

Sebastian laughed.  “We’ll have to come down some time.  They do a Halloween event, and a Christmas event.  It’s pretty nice. I’m assuming you like thrill rides.”

“Love them.  I’m an adrenaline junkie.  Do you?

“The bigger and faster the better.”  Sebastian said.

“We are still talking about roller coasters, right?”  Kurt said with a wink.

Sebastian smiled, “Maybe we should turn around.  I’m not ready for you and Leah to meet. You two are going to team up against me.”

“Never!”  Kurt laughed.

 

…………….

 

Kurt and Sebastian pulled into Visitor Parking at Oldenburg Academy just before 10:30.  Leah had texted Sebastian that she would meet them outside since boys were not allowed in the dorm rooms.  The boys got out to stretch and began walking hand in hand around a small courtyard.

“Seb!”  They heard from across the courtyard.  Both boys turned around.

“Oh my god.”  Kurt whispered.  Leah was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. Definitely the most beautiful he had ever seen in real life.  As she approached them with a smile, the sun was shining in her long, wavy, light brown hair that had natural highlights.  Her big green eyes sparkled, framed by gorgeous long lashes and perfectly manicured brows. Her smile lit yo her face, and had a great figure.  

Sebastian let go of Kurt’s hand and gave his sister a big bear hug, lifting her into the air.  “Hey, Sis! I’ve missed you!”

Leah kissed him on the cheek as he set her down.  “Missed you too, Seb.” She turned to Kurt. “You must be Kurt!”  She stepped over and gave him a hug. “I’m Leah.”

“It’s so nice to meet you, Leah.” Kurt said as they let go.  “No wonder Bas is so protective of you. You’re gorgeous.”

Leah smiled and looked at Sebastian, “I like him already!”  She turned back to Kurt, “Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself.”  She wiggled her eyebrows.

 

Sebastian drove on the way home, but Kurt suggested that since they had to drive through the outskirts of Cincinnati, that they stop at Spring Grove Cemetery.  

“A cemetery, Babe?”  Sebastian questioned.  “Why? Do you know someone buried there?”

“No, but it’s one of the largest cemeteries in the country, and it has a lot of history.  It has beautiful lakes, trees, flowers, and mausoleums. It’s really very beautiful.”

“Oooh, he likes weird stuff.  I love it. Let’s go!” Leah said.

“Alright, tell me where to go.”

 

Kurt was right about the cemetery.  It was beautiful. There were beautiful stone chapels with stained glass windows and flowers at the entrance.  As they drove, they spotted the lake. They got out and walked around one of the larger lakes. It had large trees of several varieties all around.  Large willow tree branches reached down and touched the lake. The sky reflected in the water, and you could see large fish swimming from one end to the other.  A series of stone arched bridges connected different sections of land, including an island in the middle.

As they waked, they were taking pictures of the water, the foliage, the swans, and each other.  They eventually made their way to a historic civil war section of the cemetery, where Kurt gave stories of different battles.  They returned to the car and drove around looking at the flowers and large headstones and statues before heading back to the highway.

“I never thought I would enjoy a cemetery so much.  How did you know about that place?” Sebastian asked.

“I’m kind of a history buff. I love finding different places that are within a few hours of home.  I found out about this one when doing some research on the civil war for American History class.” Kurt answered.  

“We’re going to have to come back more often.  I bet it will be beautiful next month when the leaves begin to change.”  Leah said.

“Mom and Dad definitely need to go next time they take you to school or pick you up, Leah.  They would love it too.” He looked at Kurt, “You never cease to amaze me.”

“We should come back with good camera.  It’d be a good place for senior pictures.  Last time I was there, a wedding party was having their pictures taken.”  Kurt smiled. He looked through the pictures that he had taken with his phone.  “You two could be models.”

“Look who’s talking.”  Leah smiled. “You’re a hottie, Kurt.”

“No, I think I’ll have to photoshop my cuts and bruises out of these.  Sometimes I forget they’re there.” He tried to laugh it off.

“Don’t.”  Sebastian said.  He took Kurt’s hand.  “Let them show, Babe. They are a part of your journey.  It sucks how you got them, but they are a part of you. A part that teaches an important lesson, that forms who you are as a person.  Don’t change that.”

Kurt looked at Sebastian lovingly.  He really was amazing. Kurt wondered how he got so lucky.  He didn’t say anything in return. He just squeezed Seb’s hand a little and they continued on their way.  Leah, however, was watching them from the back seat.  They seemed so happy, and so comfortable with each other.  She was really happy for her big brother. She had never seen him look at a boy like he looks at Kurt.  Kurt was different, and she was pretty sure he’s a keeper.

When they drove past the outlet mall at Washington Courthouse, Kurt turned toward Sebastian, giggled, and said, “I see what you did there.  You just drove right past without a word. Sneaky, sneaky.” They all laughed.

“One day, we’ll make him stop, Kurt.  Or we can leave him behind. You and I will get our shopping on!”  Leah said.

“Hey!  I can shop…”  Sebastian laughed.

 

They stopped for lunch just south of Columbus, and then headed back to the Smythe home.  Robert and Victoria were not home yet, so Leah headed to her room, and Sebastian took Kurt on a tour.  When they got to the mudroom by the back door, Kurt heard whining. He looked at Sebastian, who just smiled.  

“That would be Satchmo.  Do you mind dogs?”

“Satchmo?  I love dogs.  IF it’s not some vicious attack dog twice as big as me.”  Kurt grinned.

“He may lick you to death, but he’s a good boy. Aren’t you Satch?!”  He said as he went over to a cage that was around the corner.  Out came handsome Boston Terrier who immediately went straight to Kurt and sat at his feet.  

“Oh my goodness, aren’t you the cutest!”  Kurt said as he bent down petting the dog.  “Why ‘Satchmo’?” He asked Sebastian as he continued to love on the dog.

“We named him after Louis Armstrong, because of his big eyes.  He likes you.”

“He has good taste.”

“Yes, he does.”  Sebastian answered as he reached for Kurt’s hand.  “Let’s take him outside.”

 

They ended up outside in the gardens that surrounded a pool.  There was a large Oak tree that had a beautiful porch swing hanging from it.  The boys sat holding hands, perfectly comfortable in silence, enjoying the nice day.  Satchmo ran around and played for about fifteen minutes, and then laid on the ground by the boy’s feet.  

“Thanks for going with me today.  And for driving. Leah seems to really like you.”  Sebastian said.

“Thanks for asking me to go.  It was nice to spend time together.  And Leah seems great. You and your parents are going to have your hands full trying to keep the boys away from her.  Good thing she goes to an all girl school.”

“Yeah, I think there was a method their madness when my parents chose her school.”  Sebastian said.

Kurt laughed, “But they sent you to an all boys school.  Huh.”

“Yeah they didn’t think that one through.”  Sebastian laughed. He turned toward Kurt and smiled,  “But there’s no reason to worry about that anymore either.  Now I have you.”

“Yes, you do.”  Kurt smiled. He leaned up and kissed Sebastian softly on the lips, and then laid his head on his shoulder.

 

Robert and Victoria got home while the boys were outside.  Leah came down and greeted her parents with lots of hugs and exciting tales from school.

“Did you meet Kurt yet?”  Leah asked. “He’s really great.”

Robert said, “I met him last week, but your mother hasn’t met him yet.  Where are they?”

Leah looked out the large kitchen windows and french doors.  “Come look!”

Robert and Victoria both walked over and looked out the windows.  There in the garden they could see Sebastian sitting with Kurt on the swing, holding hands, and Kurt with his head on Sebastian’s shoulder.  They looked so happy and content.

“So they finally made it official?”  Robert asked.

“Yep.”  Leah answered.

“Why do you say ‘finally’?  They’ve only known each other two weeks.”  Victoria asked.

“You’ll understand when you see them together for awhile.  It was destined to happen. Might as well be sooner than later.”  Robert responded.

“Totally.”  Leah added.

 

A little while later, Sebastian and Kurt came into the house, and the rest of the family were seated around the kitchen table.

“You’re home!”  Sebastian said. He pulled Kurt over toward his parents.  “Mom, this is my boyfriend, Kurt Hummel. Kurt this is my Mom, Victoria Smythe.  Dad, you remember Kurt.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Smythe.”  Kurt said as he shook Victoria’s hand.

“The pleasure is all mine, Kurt.  And please, call me Tori.”

“It’s good to see you again, Kurt.  You’re looking better. Are you feeling okay?”  Robert added, as he shook Kurt’s hand.

“Yes, thank you, Robert.   I feel much better.”

“I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that, Dear.  Please let us know if there is anything we can do throughout the trial, or through your healing process.”  Tori added. She was so glad her son was there for Kurt that night. From the looks of his injuries a week later, he must have been pretty beat up.  

“Thank you.  Luckily Bas was there and saved the day.”  Kurt said as he took Sebastian’s hand again.  

“Not soon enough though.  I’m sorry, Babe.”

“Don’t, Bas.  No one could have known.  I’m lucky that you came out when you did.  Especially because I didn’t have much fight left in me by that time.”  Kurt said, looking into Sebastian’s eyes.

Seb leaned over, kissed Kurt on the forehead, and put his arms around him.  

Robert looked at Victoria and she gave him a knowing look as he winked at her.  He was right. It was about time. You could see it in their eyes and even feel it in the air.

 

The rest of the afternoon was spent watching movies as a family, telling stories, playing with Satchmo, and having a nice day of togetherness. Kurt stayed for dinner, and enjoyed getting to know Sebastian’s family.  

When it was time to head home, Sebastian walked Kurt to his car.  They leaned up against the car, holding each others hands, and pressed their foreheads against each other. Neither boy wanted to say goodbye.  It was so difficult.

Kurt reached up and ran his hand through the side of Sebastian’s hair and cupping his hand at his jaw.  They took a step closer to each other and Sebastian cupped his good hand around Kurt’s face. Kurt leaned up, and kissed Sebastian softly on the lips.  Sebastian kissed back and then gently licked Kurt’s bottom lip, silently asking for permission. Kurt opened his mouth to him and their tongues collided.  Both boys moaned at the action. They deepened the kiss, and Kurt grabbed on to the back of Sebastian’s shirt.

When they broke the kiss, both boys were breathless.  They pressed their foreheads together and took a moment to just be in each other’s arms. They hugged, and Sebastian kissed Kurt’s forehead again.

“I’m never going to let you go.”  Sebastian said. At that moment the words from a week ago echoed in his head.  He meant it then, and he meant it now. He felt like there was a magnetic pull to Kurt.  Like they were each other’s missing pieces. I was so happy to call Kurt his.

 


	11. Bad News and Bad Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys find out some bad news about Blaine, and it causes Sebastian to tell his family everything he saw and everything he's feeling. Kurt and his brothers have the Glee Club over and invite Sebastian and Leah. Kurt gets a feeling he's being watched, and it causes night terror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you all know, I really don't know exactly how this legal case would be handled in real life. I can't even pretend to think like a lawyer. This is just my version.  
> Comments and Kudos welcome! Thanks for reading.  
> Also, in my head Kurt lives south in Lima and Seb lives north of Westerville so they are normally about 35 ish minutes apart.

 

On Sunday morning, the Smythe family was having breakfast, when Robert received a phone call from his his assistant, Mark Taylor.  “Mark, let me call you right back.” Robert said, and then excused himself to his home office. Tori and Leah both looked at Sebastian. They were fairly certain that the phone call had something to do with the Kurt’s court case.  Sebastian was too anxious to finish eating.

“Mark, do you have news about the Hummel case?”  Robert said instead of a greeting. He really liked his son’s boyfriend, and was anxious to get this case over with.  The boys deserved to have this put behind them. He had the best available people working on the case.

“Yes, Sir.  There’s been a new discovery down at the police station.”  Mark added.

“Go on.”  Robert prompted.

“It seems that Blaine Anderson did not leave his previous school due to bullying, as he stated.  He assaulted another student while intoxicated on school property. It was not, however, sexual assault, as it was with Kurt Hummel.  He had also started a secret ‘Fight Club’ at his previous school.”

Robert sighed.  “It seems violence is a part of who Anderson is.”  He paused. “Mark, off the record…”

“Yes, Sir?”  Mark asked.

“Sebastian and Kurt and boyfriends now.  Sebastian is really happy and I can understand why after just spending half a day with Kurt myself.  It’s hard not to like the kid. Make sure this case gets everyone’s full attention. I want that asshole doing as much time as possible.  I’m sure Congressman Hummel would appreciate that as well.”

“Yes, Sir.”

 

When Robert returned to the kitchen, everyone was finishing their food in silence, with the exception of Sebastian, who was patiently leaning back in his chair waiting for his father to return.  

“Was that about Kurt’s case?”  Sebastian asked.

“It was.”  All eyes turned to Robert.  “It seems Blaine lied about why he left his previous school.  He wasn’t bullied. He _was_ the bully.  He assaulted another student while intoxicated.  He also started a secret ‘Fight Club’. Seems he likes to use his fists.  Especially while drinking.”

Tori and Leah shook their heads.  Sebastian rubbed his face.

“Why would Dalton let him in if he had been arrested before?  It’s against their policy. “ Seb asked.

“I’m assuming it’s because he was not arrested.  It was a complaint to the administration of the school, but never reported the police.  The previous school may have kept that under wraps just to be able to get rid of him themselves.”

“The hitting… the violence… It’s what upsets Kurt the most.  That a boy who supposedly loved him would hit him in order to get what he wanted.  You saw him after, Dad. He was so beat up. And to see him there, with his shirt ripped open, his pants tugged down to his hips.  Bloody and broken. God, I want to kill Anderson!”

Tori and Leah had tears in their eyes.  Robert put his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, but Seb continued.  “He was on top of him, Dad. His hand was down Kurt’s pants. Kurt was struggling but you could tell he was fading.”  Tears began to fall. “I just don’t understand how someone could do that to Kurt. He’s the sweetest guy. He has so many friends, everyone loves him, unless you’re a homophobic asshole like his bullies.”

There was a moment of silence before anyone spoke again.

“What was Kurt bullied for before?  He seems so likable.” Tori asked.

Sebastian took a minute to compose himself.  “Basically he was bullied because he’s gay.”

“But you’re gay.  You don’t get bullied.”  Leah said.

“Yeah, but I go to private school.  A very accepting one, and I could pass as straight.  Kurt is pretty obvious. Some of the jocks at his school were real assholes.  Everyone in Glee Club gets a slushie thrown in their face from time to time. But Kurt got thrown in dumpsters, and got what they called ‘locker checks’.  They would shove him into the locker as they walked by. He never knew when it was coming. He said it got to the point that they _threw_ him into the lockers.”  Sebastian shook his head.  “He had bruises all over his body all the time. One guy, a _big_ jock, was a closet case gay.  He bullied him the worst. Kurt was trying to put him in his place one day when he had had enough, and the guy lost it and forced a kiss on him.  The guy was terrified that Kurt would out him, so he bullied him worse than before. Eventually, he threatened to kill him.”

There was a collective gasp.  

“Oh, that poor boy.  He must have been so scared.” Tori sadly remarked.

Sebastian added,  “The death threat was the final straw, and that’s when he went to Dalton.  They let him enroll in November, so it had to have been bad. And,” Sebastian took a deep breath, “That’s where he met Blaine.  Who ended up treating him worse than anyone else had. Not only did he sexually assault him, but he was manipulative too. He would try to keep Kurt from his friends, and he spoke to him in a way that slowly made Kurt feel like dirt.  He literally told Kurt he wasn’t sexy, and then turned around and did what he did last weekend.”

Everyone was stunned.  They sat there unable to move, trying to comprehend how this sweet boy could be put through so much.

“Seb, why did he go back to his old school if things were so bad there?”  Tori asked.

“One of the reasons Jeff and Nick think is that he was trying to distance himself from Blaine.  They mentioned that the first weekend I met him. The other reason is because the guy who threatened to kill him ended up transferring schools.”  Sebastian was looking tired.

“But what about the other bullies.  I mean, you said it wasn’t just this one guy, right?” Leah asked.  She had a concerned look on her face. She really liked Kurt, and didn’t want him returning to a school where he could get in trouble with bullies again.

Sebastian’s mood lightened a bit.  “Yeah, I guess they’re still there, but he shouldn’t have to worry too much about them.  He has a great support system there. His step-brother, Finn, and his friend Sam both live with him, so they are always around to look out for him….”

Robert interrupted, “His friend lives with him?”

“Yeah, I guess his family was going through a hard time and became homeless for awhile.  His dad found work in Kentucky, but he wanted to stay at McKinley, so Burt and Carol invited him to live there. They’re great people. Kurt considers Sam another brother.  Anyway, he also has Puck and Mike. The four of them are pretty big guys. They’re all on the football team. There are a few other guys in Glee too, but those four, who happen to be the jocks, look out for him the most.  They’re pretty protective actually. Puck is the one who discovered the bruises before he went to Dalton, and took care of a couple of the bullies. In fact, the first time I met him, was the day after the attack. He almost killed me because he assumed I did it at first. Sam and Finn had to hold him back.”  He kind of chuckled at that.

Leah was confused, and a little aggravated.  “I still don’t get it. If they are so protective of him, how did things get so out of hand?”

“Because Kurt didn’t tell anyone about it.  People knew some small things were happening, but they definitely didn’t know how extreme it was.”  Sebastian sighed. “Kurt can pretty stubborn, I guess.  It took Puck seeing the bruises on him when he accidentally walked in on him.”

“And I’m assuming his dad didn’t know either, or he would have been at Dalton sooner.”  Robert added.

“Yeah, he’s definitely a ‘papa bear’.  There’s no way he would have let that go on.  He didn’t know until Kurt got scared enough with the death threat.  Burt has a heart condition, so Kurt felt like he was protecting him.” Sebastian paused.  “He also has his girlfriends. They are just as protective in their own way. And, now he’s a Cheerio, so that helps.”

“A what?”  The three other Smythe’s said at the same time.  

Sebastian smiled.  “He’s a cheerleader.  The coach is super protective of all her Cheerios, but especially Kurt.  She was at his house the night we went for coffee with his friends. She insisted he rejoin.  She says it’s because he won her Nationals two years ago, but by the way she was trying to intimidate me, it’s pretty obvious she just wants to protect him.”

“You really care about him, don’t you Seb?”  Tori asked gently.

He looked at her sincerely.  “I’m totally falling in love with him, Mom.”  Seb sighed. “From the moment I saw him walk into The Lima Bean with his friends.  The way he carried himself and interacted with these four big jocks. He can hold his own with them.  You could tell they respected him, and cared about him. I have never seen anything like it. And then, to get to know him...  He’s incredible. He’s so kind. He’s smart, funny, and unbelievably talented. I don’t think there’s anything he can’t do. He even played football for awhile.”  Sebastian said smiling as he shook his head. It was almost as if he couldn’t believe Kurt was real.

“And he’s hot!”  Leah said cheerfully. Everyone laughed.

“He is definitely hot.”  Sebastian said. “It’s like… like I’m drawn to him.  I want to protect him, care for him, love him, watch him shine, make him happy… I want it all.”  He smiled, “I like myself when I’m with him. I have no desire to go chase other guys, or go to club or bar.  I just want to be with him.”

“Sounds like the real deal to me, Seb.”  Robert said. “You’re lucky to have found each other.”

Sebastian’s family was happy that he had found someone who makes him feel that way.  They worried he would continue to mess around not take anyone seriously. He was a bit of a free spirit in France, and they wanted him to see his true potential as person.  He was great in school, great with family, but everything else was never taken very seriously.

Sebastian went upstairs to take a nap.  It had been an emotionally draining morning.  He hadn’t realized that he had held so much of that inside. He had shared some thoughts with Leah via text, or with Jeff and Nick at school, but it was different sitting in the kitchen with his family, letting it all out.  He felt better, but tired.

He woke up late morning to a text from Kurt.

**To Sebastian:**

Dad and Carol are in DC and we decided that in honor of no school tomorrow, we are going to have some people over to celebrate.  Want to come? Bring Leah too.

**To Kurt:**

I’ll be there.  I’ll check with Leah, but I’m sure she would love to. What time?

**To Sebastian:**

7  See you then! ;)

 

Sebastian knocked on Leah’s door.

“Come in!”  She yelled.

When he went in, her hair was in rollers and she was putting on makeup.  

“Are you going somewhere?  Why are you getting all fancy?”  Sebastian said as he sat on Leah’s bed and watched her primp at her vanity mirror.

“No, I’m just practicing some looks I saw on YouTube.  I don’t get to do this stuff at school.”

“Well, if you want you can use that look tonight if you come with me to Kurt’s.  He and his brothers are having a few people over since there’s no school tomorrow.”  Sebastian said.

Leah’s eyes lit up, “Did Kurt ask, or are you asking?”

Sebastian smiled, “We are _both_ asking. I’d like you to meet his friends.  Plus, I want to spend time with you, goofball.  Are you coming or not?”

“Of course I am.  Duh.” She smirked.

 

………………..

 

When Sebastian and Leah pulled up in front of the Hummel-Hudson home, Sebastian turned to Leah and said, “No flirting.”  Leah just rolled her eyes.

Kurt greeted them both with hugs and ushered them into the living room.  His brothers, Puck, and Sugar were all there already. They greeted Sebastian with a warm welcome, and Kurt introduced Leah to everyone.  The boys all smiled at her, but were careful not to be too flirty. Kurt had warned them that she was gorgeous, only fourteen, and totally off limits.

Sugar, in all of her Sugariness, walked up to her with her eyes wide and slowly asked, “Are you real?”  Everyone chuckled.

“Um, yes?”  Leah answered.  

“Wow.  You’re gorgeous.”  Sugar said.

“Thank you.”  Leah said bashfully.

“She is.”  Sebastian said and then looked directly at the boys, “And I would like to remind everyone that she is my _little_ sister.”  He smirked.

“Seb!”  Leah was so embarrassed.

“Oh, Sweetie, I think you’re going to have to get to used to that.  Just wait until you start dating. Then you and your gentleman suitors, will have to deal with _both_ of us.”  Kurt said as he winked at her.  “And don’t worry, Bas, I already warned them.”

“Kurt!  Not you too!”  Leah whined.

“Sorry, Sweetie.  We’re a package deal on this one.”  Kurt smiled sympathetically at her.

Leah sighed, but Sebastian leaned in, wrapped his arm around Kurt’s waist, and whispered, “Thanks, Babe.”

 

A little while later the rest of the Glee Club arrived, and Kurt continued introducing Leah to his friends. He was very pleased that everyone was getting along so well.  People were playing video games, talking, laughing, and of course, some were singing.

Leah was mingling among everyone and Kurt and Sebastian enjoyed their time with everyone together.  Sebastian, however, wanted to talk to Kurt alone for a little while.

“Hey, Babe, can we go outside for a bit?” Sebastian smirked.

“Sure, Bas.  Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just want you to myself for a little while.”  Sebastian said as he grabbed Kurt’s hand and lead him through the kitchen and out the back door.  

The boys sat on the steps of the deck that lead to the back yard.  Sebastian put his arm around Kurt, and Kurt laid his head on Sebastian’s shoulder.  They sat there in silence for a little while, looking up at the moon.

“Kurt, would you like to go out to dinner next weekend? Maybe go to a movie, or museum or something?”

Kurt lifted his head, and turned to look at Sebastian.  “Of course, Bas.” He put his head back on Sebastian’s shoulder, “I’d love to.”  

“We just haven’t gone out on a real date yet.  I want to do this for real, ya know?” Sebastian couldn’t help but notice the warm feeling in his chest.  He wanted this to be good for Kurt. He knew Kurt was pretty traditional, a romantic of sorts. He had to do this right.

Kurt sat up and looked at Sebastian again.  “You’re doing everything perfectly.” He said it as if he could read Seb’s mind.  “When would you like to go? We have our first game on Friday, so that may not be good.  Saturday?”

“Saturday is perfect.  But I’d still like to come to the game, if that’s okay with you.”  Sebastian couldn’t wait to see Kurt in all of his cheer leading glory.  

“That would be great.  But no teasing me about being a cheerleader.”

“Teasing?  Are you crazy?  I can’t wait. You’re going to look hot as hell.”  Sebastian smirked, and Kurt giggled.

After another few minutes in silence, Sebastian couldn’t keep in the other thing that had been bothering him all night.  He asked Kurt, “Did you hear about Blaine?”

“Yeah.”  

“Are you okay?”

“I’m not sure.  I guess so.”

Sebastian could tell that Kurt was struggling with it all internally.  His answers were vague, and he wasn’t really showing much emotion. Both were not typical of his boyfriend.  He worried, but didn’t press the matter. He just rubbed his shoulder, giving Kurt the reassurance that he was there for him.

 

When they made their way back inside, Leah was in the kitchen with Santana and Mercedes.  Mercedes walked over to the boys and quietly whispered, “I hear you gave the boys a warning about Leah, but you did either of you two think about saying anything to _Santana_?”

“Oh no.” Kurt whispered.

“What?”  You could hear the concern in Sebastian’s voice.  

Kurt turned to Sebastian and in a very calm voice said, “Santana is gay.  And _very_ flirty when she wants to be. She’s actually kind of with Brittany, but that doesn’t stop the flirting when she sees what she likes.  I’ll talk to her.”

Sebastian let out a low growl from the back of his throat as he looked up and saw Santana flirting with his little sister.  He knew he had to worry about the boys, but didn’t really think about having to worry about any of the girls. He really should have known better.

 

Kurt pulled Santana aside while Sebastian, Leah, and Mercedes headed back toward the rest of the group.

“It’s all harmless flirting, Hummel.”  Santana said.

“She’s off limits, Tana.  And she’s not gay.” Kurt said sternly.

“Everyone can be turned, Hummel. But don’t worry.  I was just flirting. You know I’m with Brit.”

“Yeah, well, harmless or not, cut it out. Plus, she’s only fourteen.”

“Okay.  Okay. Don’t get your panties in a twist.”  Santana said as she rolled her eyes.

 

When they went back into the living room, Rachel and Sugar were talking to Leah, Sebastian was talking with Kurt’s brothers.  Everyone else was still hanging out and having a good time.

Kurt approached Leah, “Sorry about Santana, Leah.  She doesn’t know how she comes across sometimes.”

“Oh, it’s okay.  She’s nice.” Leah smiled.  

Both Rachel and Kurt looked at each other and gave a knowing smile.  

“She _can_ be.  Just don’t ever get on her bad side.”  Rachel said. She turned her attention to Kurt.  “I told Leah that if any of us are having a sleepover next time she comes home, she’s more than welcome to come.”

Leah looked at Kurt with some sort of curiosity written all over her face.  “So you have sleepovers with the girls?”

Kurt smiled. “Yep.  And we talk about boys.  So, you’re welcome to come, but just be forewarned, that since I AM dating your brother now…..” He winked at her.

“Oh my god, no.”  She said as they all laughed.  

“Seriously, Leah.  You’re welcome to join us any time.  I promise not to make it too uncomfortable for you.”  Kurt said, laying a hand on Leah’s shoulder.

“Yeah, and it’s always fun.  Nobody can paint nails like Kurt.  Even the professionals.” Sugar added.

“You are just full of surprises, Kurt.  I mean, you have sleepovers with all of these beautiful girls, hang out with the jocks and nerds alike… You’re amazing.  You don’t really fit into one category, do you?” Leah truly was amazed by him.

“What fun would that be?!”  Kurt smiled

 

A little while later, after more than half of the Glee Club had left,  Kurt decided to take the overflowing recycling out to the recycling bin on the side of the garage.  He paused before opening the lid to the bin. He felt like someone was behind him. He slowly turned around.  No one was there.

He quickly threw the bag in, and then he walked back toward the house.  He continued to feel like there were eyes on him. He walked faster, and soon, he was in a full sprint.  He saw no one, but could _feel_ someone’s eyes watching.  

He opened the door to the house, slammed it shut, locked the deadbolt lock, and put his back to the door as he panted heavily.  

Sebastian noticed right away.  He stopped mid-sentence as he spoke to Puck, and quickly made his way to Kurt.  “What’s the matter, Baby?  What’s wrong?” His voice was serious, and full of concern.

“I don’t know…” Kurt answered.  He went past Sebastian to the large picture window and pulled the curtains closed.  

All eyes were on him, and the room was silent, sans the music softly playing in the background.  

Sebastian followed him to the the window.  “Was someone out there?” Seb pulled the curtain slightly, and peaked outside. He glanced back toward Puck.  Puck gave a knowing nod.

“I felt... I wasn’t alone...Someone’s eyes….”  Kurt trailed off.

“We’ll check it out, Princess.” Puck said.  Puck, Sam, and Finn all went through the back door to go check the property for anyone who might be there.

Sebastian, in the meantime, cautiously put his arm around Kurt’s waist, drawing him into his hold. “I’ve got you, Babe.  It’s okay.”

Kurt seemed like he was in a daze.  Leah, Sugar, and Rachel were the only other people in the house.  The girls sat together in silence and watched the two boys embrace.  

When the boys came back in, they reported that they hadn’t seen or heard anything. For some reason, that didn’t ease Kurt or Sebastian’s mind.

Sebastian looked at Kurt and said, “I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.  I want to go see for myself.”

Kurt shook his head no, and looked like he was about to panic.  

“I’ll go with him, Princess.  It will be fine. He’s just worried.”  Puck added.

Sugar got up and walked over to Kurt.  She put her hand on his back. “Come cuddle with me, Angel.”  She lead him to the couch where he sat with the girls. Sugar had her arms around him and Leah had her hand on his leg.  

Sebastian and Puck went around the house, while Sam looked out a window in the back of the house, and Finn looked a window in the front of the house.  They wanted to see if they could catch any movement or anyone leaving when the boys were out looking around.

Outside, Sebastian went one way and Puck went the other.  Neither of them found any trace of a person being there. Before they went back in, Seb stopped Puck.  

“You still have my number, right?  You know it’s going to kill me to leave tonight.”  Seb was already dreading leaving his boyfriend there to deal with this without him.

“Yeah, man, I go it.  Give me your phone and I’ll add Finn and Sam too.”

“Good idea.”  Sebastian handed Puck his phone.  “Add Sugar too, please. Just in case.”

“Alright.  I’ll make sure they all have your number too.”

“Thanks, Puck.”

“We got this, Sebastian.  We won’t let anything happen to your boy.” Puck put his hand on Seb’s shoulder.  

When they went in, they reported that there was nothing there.

“I’m probably just being paranoid.”  Kurt said, slightly embarrassed.

“No, Angel.  Always trust your gut.”  Sugar said.

Sebastian walked over and reached a hand out to Kurt.  Kurt took it, and Seb pulled them over the the chair. He pulled Kurt into his lap, and wrapped his arms around him.  Kurt held on tight.

“Am I being silly? Paranoid? I feel so stupid.”  Kurt said quietly.

“No, Baby.  Don’t say that.  Sugar is right. Always trust your gut instincts.”  Sebastian said.

Puck added, “Kurt…”  Kurt’s eyes popped up.  Puck never called him anything but Princess.  “They are both right. Always trust your gut. If you feel like you were being watched, maybe you were.  It could have been someone peeking out a window in your direction, or an animal seeing if you were a danger…”

“It’s your bodies way of telling you to be careful, Babe.”  Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s back. “Don’t hush that voice. Trust it.”

 

About an hour later, Sugar and Rachel had said their goodbyes.  Puck decided to spend the night, and it was time for Sebastian and Leah to head home.  Again, this was always the hardest part for Sebastian and Kurt. Tonight was particularly hard, knowing that Kurt was not feeling comfortable.  Sebastian didn’t want Kurt to walk him to the car, so he said his goodbyes at the door. Sam walked Leah to the car while they waited on the boys.  

“Call me if you need anything at all, okay?”  Sebastian said.

“I will.  I’ll be okay, Bas.”  Kurt said. “My brothers and Noah will be here.”  

“I know.  It’s just always so hard to leave you.”

Kurt looked up and met Sebastian's eyes.  He put a hand on Sebastian’s face and sighed.  He kissed Sebastian softly on the lips, and then hugged him tight.  It was so hard to say goodbye.

 

…………….

 

_Kurt lifted the lid to the recycling bin.  He could feel someone’s eyes on him. He put the bag in slowly, turned around and was face to face with Blaine._

_“It’s nice to see you again, Kurt.”  Blaine drawled._

_“Blaine… what… how…”_

_“Awwe, what’s the matter, Kurt? Your boyfriend not here to save you?”_

_“You can’t be here.  You need to leave! Please!”_

_Kurt tried to get past Blaine, but he grabbed his wrist as he tried to pass._

 

Kurt was tossing and turning in bed.  He was beginning to talk in his sleep…

 

_“Let go of me Blaine!  Let go!” He yelled._

_“I don’t think so, Kurt.  I have you right where I want you!”  Blaine pushed Kurt up against the side of the garage.  He wasted no time. He began kissing Kurt, grabbing his hips, and grinding up against him._

_Kurt tried with all of his might to get away.  He screamed and screamed, but nobody heard him._

_Blaine unzipped Kurt’s pants, and then his own…_

 

Kurt was screaming in his sleep, writhing in is bed.  Sam was on his way to the kitchen for a drink, when he heard Kurt scream.  He immediately opened his door and ran down the steps to Kurt’s basement bedroom.

“Kurt!  Wake up!  You’re having a nightmare!”

_Blaine ripped Kurt’s shirt open.  Kurt continued to fight, but it wasn’t working.  It was as if Blaine couldn’t even feel him hitting, kicking, scratching._

_Blaine punched him in the mouth, sending blood flying, splattering on side of the garage wall.  Kurt felt like his head was going to explode._

 

Sam tried again to wake Kurt up, but without success.  He ran upstairs and woke up Finn and Puck. All three boys ran downstairs to Kurt’s bedroom.  Kurt was tossing and turning in bed, yelling and screaming for Blaine to stop.

Finn walked over and sat on the bed, gently laying a hand on Kurt’s shoulder.  He shook gently. “Hey little brother. Wake up. It’s okay. Wake up, Kurt.” Nothing changed.  

Puck tried as well.  Kurt just screamed louder.  He reached up and grabbed his face, like he was in pain.  

The boys didn’t know what to do.  Puck did the only thing he could think of.  He called Sebastian.

 

Sebastian was asleep in bed when his phone rang.  He had been on edge ever since leaving Kurt, so when it rang, he immediately sat up.  When he saw the name on the caller ID, his heart sank.

“Puck, what happened?!”

“Man, he’s having a nightmare and we can’t wake him up!  He’s screaming and yelling something about Blaine. He’s holding his face like he’s in pain, and we’ve all tried waking him.  He just won’t wake up.”

Sebastian was putting pants on while Puck spoke.  “Puck, don’t try to wake him.”

“What?”

 

_Kurt punched Blaine, but Blaine just laughed.  “You think you can hurt me? I do the hurting here, Kurt.  You think I ever really loved you? You were nothing but a toy to me.  I like messing with your head. I never cared if you didn’t put out. I got my rocks off elsewhere, idiot.”_

_Blaine punched him again._

 

The boys heard Kurt scream again, and this time, Sebastian heard it too.  He opened the door to Leah’s room.

He shook her awake, “Leah!”

She opened her eyes slightly.  “What?”

“I’m going to back to Kurt’s.  Tell Mom and Dad in the morning.  I’ll explain later.”

And with that he was out the door.  

 

“Dude, are you still there!?  What are we supposed to do?” Puck asked.

“I’m here.  I had to tell Leah I was leaving.  I’m on my way. DO NOT try to wake him.  He’s having a night terror. They aren’t common in people our age, but given the circumstances...”

Sebastian was already on the road.  

“Waking him can cause him to be more disoriented than he already is.  Just let the dream play out.” Sebastian heard Puck sigh. “I know it’s hard.”

_Blaine grabbed Kurt around the neck and laughed in his face.  He spat on him and slapped him when he tried again to get away.  “You think anyone cares enough to save you? You’re just a silly little GIRL, Kurt.  Be a man, Kurt. Fight back...I like it when they fight…_

 

Sebastian made the drive in a record 20 minutes.  He didn’t knock, he just went straight to Kurt’s bedroom. When he got there, all of the boys were there watching helplessly.  Finn was sitting on the edge of Kurt’s bed, but when he saw Sebastian, he stood.

“Dude, you could have put some clothes on.”  Finn said.

Sebastian had put jeans on, but didn’t even button them.  He wasn’t wearing a shirt.

“I came as fast as I could.”  He said, without taking his eyes off of Kurt.  “Any changes?”

“Sometimes he’s screaming and saying things, and then sometimes he’s just crying.” Sam said.  “What are we supposed to do?”

“He needs to wake up as naturally and as gently as possible.  Did you try just softly talking to him?” Sebastian asked.

“Yeah, sort of.  But I think we were touching him.”  Puck said.

Sebastian crawled onto the bed and gently laid down next to Kurt.  What he heard brought tears to his eyes.

 

_“NO!  Stop. Stop, please!”_

_Blaine licked him up his cheek.  “You taste like weakness, Kurt. Such a fucking pussy.  Man up, Kurt.” He punched Kurt again. “You’re healing too fast, Kurt.  I need to leave a lasting impression.”_

_“Blaine, stop!  I can’t. I...Please don’t…”  Kurt cried._

 

Sebastian, very calmly, and without touching Kurt, said, “Baby, I’m here.  It’s okay. Wake up, Babe. I’ve got you.”

Kurt calmed slightly, but continued to cry.

 

_“Sebastian.”  Kurt said as he looked around. “Bas?”_

_“No ‘Bas’ here, Kurt.  He can’t save you this time.  You’re all mine. You’re weak.  You’re nothing. That’s why you’re so easy to take.”_

_“No!  I’m not yours.  I’m not…” Kurt said with a little more resolve._

 

“That’s it, Babe.  I’m right here. Come back to me.  Wake up, Baby.” Sebastian said softly.  

 

_Suddenly Blaine was gone.  Kurt leaned up against the garage, still bloody.  He could here Bas’ loving voice calling him, but he didn’t know how to get to him._

_“Bas…. Where?  Bas...Please.” Kurt’s tears stopped.  He was determined to find his boyfriend._

 

“I’m right here.  Kurt, Baby, open your eyes.  I’m here. Wake up, Babe.” Sebastian said gently.  He was watching every move Kurt made. He could tell he was searching.  

Finn, Sam, and Puck, were watching Sebastian and Kurt both.  The love was obvious.

 

Kurt turned toward Sebastian’s voice but did not open his eyes.

“That’s it, Babe.  I’m right here. I’ve got you.”

“Bas.”  Kurt’s eyes started to flutter.  

Sebastian smiled softly.  “Open your eyes, Babe. Please look at me.”

Kurt’s eyes slowly opened.  As soon as his eyes met Sebastian’s he started to cry again.  He quickly wrapped his arms around Sebastian. “Oh my god, Bas.”

Sebastian held on tight.  “I’ve got you, Babe. It’s okay.”

“We’ll leave you two alone.”  Puck said as he motioned for the other two to leave with him.

“Yeah, dude, you’re staying.”  Finn said.

Sam gave a dry chuckle.  “I don’t think we could make him leave if we tried.”

 

Sebastian and Kurt held each other tight.  Sebastian ran his hands gently through Kurt’s hair and kissed the top of head.  He wanted nothing more than to take away the pain. He needed Kurt to know that he was there and that he would do anything.  

“What do you need, Babe?  What can I do for you?” Sebastian asked.  He was desperate to help.

“Just hold me, Bas.  Don’t let go.”

“I won’t ever let go, Kurt.  I’m not going anywhere. I’m yours for as long as you want me.”  


	12. Strong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian makes Kurt understand how strong he is. Burt finds about the night terror and the reason behind it. Friday night football game and time spent after brings some unsettling answers that only lead to more questions in the future. Puck is awesome ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say on this one. Comments and Kudos always welcome!

Late the next morning, Sebastian laid awake with Kurt asleep in his arms. Sebastian had been awake for awhile, but didn’t want to wake Kurt.  He knew he had to be exhausted. Besides, he was enjoying just holding his boyfriend.

Kurt began to stir, and eventually looked up at Sebastian.  “Mmm. Morning.” He smiled.

“Good morning.”  Sebastian kissed his forehead, “How are you feeling?”

“Mmm.  Rested now.”  Kurt looked up at Sebastian. “Thanks for coming back.”  Kurt looked embarrassed.

“Kurt, there’s nothing I won’t do to help you.”

“I know.  I’m just tired of _needing_ help.”  He sighed.  “Even in that dream, Blaine was calling me weak.  He even called me a girl. Told me to be a man. And here I am, needing a big, strong, _man_ to come to my rescue.  Again.” Kurt was looking everywhere _but_ at Sebastian.

Sebastian laid Kurt gently on the pillow, and sat up facing him.  He took his hand, and firmly, but gently, said, “Kurt, look at me.  Please.”

Kurt didn’t at first.  But when Sebastian squeezed his hand, he gave in and looked at his boyfriend.  

“Listen to me.  I do not want you ever thinking you are anything but a strong man.  It takes a strong man to keep going day after day while bullies try to continually knock him down. It takes a strong man to forgive people who bullied him.  It takes a strong man to not lose himself when his asshole ex-boyfriend tries to manipulate him into being someone he’s not. It takes a strong man to fight someone who was trying to rape him.  It takes a strong man to report it, and take that person to court. It takes a strong man to be himself in a town that doesn’t always accept him. It takes a strong man to love his friends and family so unconditionally.”  He squeezed his hand again. “I don’t know _anyone_ else who would have been strong enough to handle half of what you have been through. You are the strongest man I have ever met, Kurt.”  Sebastian scanned his eyes up and down Kurt’s body. “And you are ALL man.”

Kurt sat up and reached for Sebastian’s face.  He studied him as he ran his hand down his cheek, back up to his hair, down his neck, to his shoulder and arm.  He looked back up to lips, and then his eyes. “How did I get so lucky?”

Sebastian gave a questioning look.  He had just mentioned all of the horrible things Kurt had been though.  “Lucky?”

Kurt reached back up to stroke Sebastian’s face.  “Mhmm. Lucky to have you in my life. Even luckier that I get to call you mine.”

Sebastian leaned over and gave Kurt a soft kiss on the lips.  “I’m the lucky one, Babe.”

 

A little while later, Kurt was in the shower, and Sebastian went upstairs to borrow a shirt from Sam.

Sam went into the closet while Sebastian stood leaning up against the door frame with his hands in his pockets.  

“How’s he doing?”  Sam asked.

“He was upset, but I think he’s doing better.  Thanks for being there for him. I’m glad he has you guys.”  Sebastian answered.

“Well, we’re glad he has _you_.  We can see how much you care about each other.”  Sam said as he brought out a t-shirt for him.

“Thanks, Sam.”  Sebastian said as he put the shirt on.  “I care about him a lot. Sometimes, so much that it hurts.”

Sam chuckled and slapped Sebastian on the shoulder as he walked past him to go downstairs.  “That’s called ‘LOVE’, Sebastian.”

 

Sebastian was in the kitchen making pancakes when Kurt came up from his bedroom.  The other boys were sitting at the kitchen table, and paused their conversation when Kurt walked in.  

“You okay, little brother?”  Finn asked.

“Yeah, I’m feeling better.  Thanks for helping last night, guys.”  Kurt said, and then turned to Puck, “And thanks for calling Sebastian, Noah.”

Puck gave him a soft smile and a wink.  “Anything for my Princess.”

Sebastian smiled and shook his head as he continued to make the pancakes. Kurt walked up to him and wrapped his arms around him from behind.  They didn’t say a word. They didn’t need to.

 

About an hour later, Burt and Carol arrived home from DC.  The boys were all in the living room watching a movie. Carol went to put their clothes in the laundry and Burt walked in and greeted everyone as he sat and then focused on the movie.  He was tired from the trip. When Kurt paused the movie without saying anything, the room remained quiet. Burt turned and looked at the boys with a frown. “What’s the matter?”

“Well,”  Kurt sighed.  Sebastian squeezed his hand in support, “Last night, Sebastian, his sister, Leah, and the Glee Club came over.”   This was not out of the ordinary. The Hummel-Hudson home was usually the main gathering spot for the Glee kids, and Burt and Carol didn’t usually mind if they came over without them home, seeing as though they’d always been pretty responsible.

“Yeah, okay.  Did something happen?”

“Well, no, not really.  But sort of.” Kurt started.  Burt looked confused. “I went to take the recycling out, and I felt like someone was watching me.”  Burt’s eyebrows shot up. “So Sebastian, Puck, Finn, and Sam, all went out and looked around. Twice.  They didn’t see anyone or anything. But I _really_ felt like someone was watching me.”

“Okay, kiddo, well, we’ll have to be extra careful.  Trust your gut on this. Maybe you shouldn’t go out at night by yourself for awhile, or…”

“Dad, that’s not… That’s not all.  Because I was so freaked out by it, I had a hard time sleeping.  When I did get to sleep, I had a night terror.” Kurt said.

Burt looked confused again.  “Is that different from a nightmare?”

Kurt looked at Sebastian, so Seb answered for him.  “A night terror is worse. It’s a lot more realistic, they are harder to wake up from, and usually the dreamer can remember all of the details as if they really happened.”  Sebastian added, “You also can’t wake a person up the same way you can from a nightmare. Shaking them or yelling for them to wake, can become part of the terror. Sometimes, if you speak gently, you can coerce them into waking up.”  

Kurt continued, “Sam heard me screaming.  I was dreaming about Blaine. He was out by the recycling bin, and attacked me again.”  He took a deep breath. “Sam tried to wake me but couldn’t. He went to get Finn and Puck, but they couldn’t wake me either.  They didn’t know what to do, so they called Sebastian.” Kurt looked at Sebastian and squeezed his hand. “Bas came back right away, and helped me wake up.”

Burt looked at Sebastian with a grateful look on his face and a nod of appreciation.  But then he frowned, “How come Seb could wake you, but the others couldn’t?”

Kurt smiled softly.  “Well, Sebastian knew about night terrors, and he knew what to do.  I think it also helped that it was him being _him_.  I could hear him calling for me gently as Blaine was hitting me.  All of the sudden Blaine was gone. It took a little bit longer, but I was able to ‘come back to him’, so to speak.”

“I see.  Well, thanks for coming back, Sebastian.  Kurt, I want you to sleep with your bedroom door open, so that if it happens again, we can hear you.”  Burt said.

“Okay, Dad.”

Burt didn’t know what to make of all this.  It worried him. Kurt was never the kind of kid to worry about being alone, or creeped out easily by things.  He knew he had been through a lot lately, but things had been going well up until this point. It just didn’t make sense. He would have to keep an extra eye on things around the house.  

 

……………………..

 

Later that afternoon when Sebastian returned home, he entered the living room where his family was hanging out.  Robert looked up from his paper, “Everything okay? Leah said you had to go back to Kurt’s in the middle of the night.”

Sebastian sat down on the couch next to his mom and leaned back, with his head resting on the cushion.  “Yeah, he’s better. He was having a night terror, and Puck and his brothers couldn’t wake him up. They didn’t know what to do.  He was dreaming that Blaine was assaulting him again.”

Leah looked up.  “Do you think it’s because of what happened outside?”

Tori looked at her with furrowed brows, “What happened outside?”

Sebastian said, “He was taking the recycling out, and he felt like he was being watched.  We went out and checked around, twice, but nobody was there. It really freaked him out. I do think that’s what triggered it.  He dreamed he was out at the recycling bin and that it was Blaine who was there. Blaine began beating him again. He was screaming and crying still when I got back there.  It breaks my heart.”

Everyone sat there silently contemplating the situation for a few moments.  Then Robert said, “Do you think someone was really watching him?”

“I don’t know.  Kurt isn’t the type to be nervous outside by himself, or get too paranoid.  So maybe. That’s the last thing he needs. But we know it can’t be Blaine. He’s in juvie.  So I don’t know….” Sebastian sighed.

“Well, I wouldn’t get too worked up about it, but I also wouldn’t dismiss it, either.  Does Burt know?” Robert asked.

“Yeah.  He wasn’t there last night.  He and Carol were in DC, but we explained everything when they got home this afternoon.  He pretty much said the same thing...Not to dismiss it.”

Sebastian sighed, and closed his eyes.

Robert and Tori looked at each other and then back at Sebastian sympathetically.  “This will all work out, Seb. And Kurt is very lucky to have so many people who care about him.  But, are _you_ okay?”  Tori asked.

Sebastian opened his eyes, turned his head and looked at her.  “I’m fine, Mom. I’m just worried about him. I just want this all to be over with so we can move on with our ‘happily ever after’.”  Sebastian smirked and winked at her as he wiggled his eyebrows. Everyone chuckled.

“Alright, you two.  Go pack up and we’ll take you back to school.  Seb, we’ll drop you off on the way.”

As Leah and Sebastian walked out of the living room, Leah was overheard saying, “Is that Sam’s shirt?  He’s so hot.”

They giggled when they heard Seb say, “Yes.  And don’t even _think_ about it, sis.”

 

……………..

 

The rest of week was pretty uneventful.  Kurt had Cheerio practice or Glee Club after school everyday, but always made time each day to text and call Sebastian.  He hadn’t had any more feelings of being watched, and not a single nightmare or night terror. His face was healing considerably well, and he was starting to feel like things were getting back to normal.

 

When Friday came, Sebastian was excited all day.  He couldn’t wait to head to McKinley for the football game.  It had been years since he had been to an American football game, and tonight he got to see the guys he now considered friends play the game.  The best part was going to be watching his amazing boyfriend cheer. He couldn’t wait to see Kurt in his Cheerios uniform.

Sebastian was in his dorm picking out the perfect outfit when Nick came in.    
“Got any big plans with Kurt this weekend?”  Nick asked.

“Actually, I’m going to McKinley’s football game in a little bit.  He’s cheering, and the other guys are playing. It’s their first home game.  Then we’re going on our first official date tomorrow night.”

“Um, _why_ didn’t you invite us to the game!?  I want to go! And you know Jeffie would love to watch Kurt cheer.”  Nick paused. “We’re going with you.”

Sebastian laughed, “Yeah, okay.  Sorry, I should have invited you.  I’m sure Kurt would love to see you guys.  You’ll have to drive if it’ll be the three of us.”

“No problem.  I’m going to go get Jeff.  He’s going to be so excited!”

“Do you guys like football?”  Sebastian asked as he put his shirt on.

“I do.  Jeff just likes boys in tight pants.”  Nick said as he winked at Seb on his way out the door.

 

……………..

 

Sebastian, Nick, and Jeff made their way into the stands and sat next to Burt and Carol.  

“Hi, Boys!”  Burt and Carol greeted the boys with hugs and handshakes.  Burt and Carol had missed seeing Nick and Jeff. They had been good friends to Kurt when he went to Dalton.  

“I haven’t been to a football game in years.”  Sebastian said to no one in particular as he sat next to Carol.  

“Yeah, well, welcome back to the states, kid.”  Burt chuckled.

 

When the cheerleaders came out onto the field, it took no time at all for Sebastian to spot Kurt.  

“Oh. My. God.”  Sebastian said, unable to take his eyes off of his boyfriend.  

Burt and Carol snickered, but tried not to make a big deal about it.  They were happy for Kurt, that he had found someone who cared so much about him, but also someone who was obviously attracted to him as well.  Blaine had never shown much interest in that way.

Nick and Jeff, however, were less subtle.  Nick and Jeff were staring too, but Nick took a second to slap Seb on the back.  “Breathe, Seb.” He chuckled. “Breathe.”

Jeff smiled, “Well, Nicky, we know where Sebby will be every Friday night.”

Sebastian didn’t say anything else.  He just continued to stare. Kurt’s uniform fit him like a glove.  It showed every slim, yet toned, muscle in his chest and arms, and his ass looked like perfection.

 

Eventually, Sebastian kind-of-sort-of-maybe-just-a-little got used to Kurt being there in his very sexy cheer leading uniform, and he started to watch the game.  It was nice watching, knowing the quarterback, and three of the other players.

When halftime rolled around, Sebastian and Niff went down to the concession stands, and ended up running into Sugar, Mercedes, and Tina.

“Hey, hot stuff!  I was looking for you earlier!”  Sugar said as she walked up behind Sebastian.

“Hey, Sugar!  It’s good to see you!” Sebastian said as he leaned down and gave Sugar a hug.  He politely hugged the other girls as well.

“Sugar, Mercedes, Tina…. This is Nick and Jeff.  Otherwise known as Niff.” Sebastian smiled as he introduced them all.  

“Oh my gosh!  Niff! I’ve heard so much about you!”  Sugar squealed.  
“We’ve heard tons about you too, Sugar.  All good things from both Kurt and Sebastian.”  Jeff said. “Ladies,” He made sure to include Mercedes and Tina, “It’s so nice to meet you.”

The girls smiled sweetly and returned the greeting.

“Soooooo, Sebastian…”  Sugar drawled. “Did you, ah, see Angel in his cheer leading uniform?”  She said as she looped her arm through his and wiggled her eyebrows at him.

Nick leaned over to Jeff and whispered, “Oh my god, I love her.”  Jeff agreed.

Sebastian cleared his throat, “Why, yes, Sugar.  I did. In fact I think I missed most of the first half because of it.”  He laughed.

Tina said, “Yeah, well, if you like the way he is cheering tonight, wait until you see what they are coming up with for their first cheer competition.” Sebastian raised an eyebrow in curiosity.  “Santana, Quinn, Brittany, and Kurt were practicing part of the routine in the choir room before Glee...Oh my gosh. So sexy.”

Sebastian’s eyes were glazed over and he wasn’t blinking.

“Snap out of it.”  Mercedes said as she snapped her fingers in front of Sebastian.  Everyone giggled as he came back down from his Kurt-coma.

Nick said, “Okay, Seb.  We’re going with you to _that_ too.  No leaving us out!”

 

The six of them walked around a bit and stretched their legs.  Sugar still had her arm looped through Sebastian's. It felt very natural to both of them.  Sebastian could see he and Sugar becoming very close. Since he planned on always having Kurt around, Sugar was part of that deal, and he liked it.  

Sugar felt the same way. She loved that her Angel finally had someone who seemed to treat him right.  She loved that he actually seemed worthy of Angel. He was good looking, from a nice family, smart, driven, loving, protective, and actually encouraged him to spend time with his friends.  She couldn’t imagine anyone better for her Angel.

As they walked, Sebastian started to feel a bit uneasy.  He paused and looked behind him. He didn’t know what he was looking for.  They walked a bit more, and he paused again. This time, coming to a complete stop.  

“What’s wrong?”  Sugar asked.

“Seb?”  Jeff sounded concerned.

Sebastian didn’t say anything.  He looked behind them again. He didn’t see anyone he recognized.  He looked over toward the area under the bleachers. It was full of shadows, but he still saw nothing.  

“I don’t know.”  Seb said slowly. “I just have this feeling…”

“What is it?”  Nick asked.

“I feel like we’re being watched.”  Sebastian said.

Everyone looked around.  Of course the girls recognized a ton of people there, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.  Nick and Jeff didn’t see anyone they knew.

Sugar looked up at Sebastian without letting go.  “Do you think someone is actually watching you and Kurt?”

He looked down at her, “I don’t know.  But now I understand what Kurt felt last weekend.”  He answered.

“What are you talking about?”  Tina asked.

Tina and Mercedes had left the party before Kurt had gone outside, so they didn’t know what Sebastian was talking about.  Neither did Nick or Jeff.  Sebastian quickly gave them a very condensed version of what happened.  They all started looking around.  No one noticed anything out of the ordinary.  

“Okay.”  Sebastian said.  “No one say anything about this to Kurt.  He doesn’t need to worry and I don’t want him having another night terror.  We’ll go ahead and head back up to our seats. Girls, you need to come with us.  It’ll make me feel better if you’re not on your own. We’re sitting with Burt and Carol anyway, so I’ll be sure to mention something to Burt.”  He looked at everyone to make sure they understood.

“Let’s go.”  Nick said. He grabbed Jeff’s hand.  

Tina and Mercedes linked arms, and Sugar never let go of Sebastian.  

 

As they made their way up to their seats, Burt smiled when he saw Sebastian walking arm in arm with Sugar.  He loved that they got along. His face fell when he saw the look on Sebastian’s face.

“What’s the matter?”  Burt asked.

As everyone was taking a seat, Sebastian began to explain to Burt.  “I think I understand what Kurt felt like last weekend. We were all down there walking around, when I got a really strange feeling I was being watched. I didn’t see anyone I knew, or anything that seemed different.  And the girls didn’t see anything out of the ordinary either.”

Burt’s brows furrowed.  “I don’t like this. Something is going on.”  He sat for a minute and thought about it. “Don’t tell Kurt about this for now.”

“I agree.  In fact, we already discussed that.”  He motioned to the rest of the group.

“In the meantime, I don’t want any of you going anywhere by yourselves.  Understood?” Burt looked at everyone. “If you go out after the game, make sure it’s in a group.”

The group agreed, and tried to enjoy the rest of the game.  

 

McKinley won the game 28-14.  Sebastian, Niff, and the girls, waited for Kurt by the gate of the stadium as the football team and cheerleaders made their way to the locker rooms.  When Kurt saw Sebastian, he ran to him and gave him a hug.

“Bastian!”  Kurt squealed. “I’m so glad you came tonight.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it, Babe!  I, uh, could’t pay much attention to the game, though.”  Sebastian said as he scanned Kurt’s body up and down. “You look so hot.”  

Kurt chuckled and then looked at the girls.  “Wait till’ he sees the competition routine.”

“That’s what we told him!”  Mercedes and Tina said in unison.  

“Hi guys!”  Kurt said as he hugged Nick and Jeff.  “Thanks for coming.”

Nick said, “Yeah, well, we invited ourselves.  Sebastian was going to come without us!”

“Can you believe that?”  Jeff said as he put a hand on his hip and gave Sebastian a condemning look.  

“Sorry!  It won’t happen again.”  Sebastian said as he threw his hands up in the air and chuckled.  

 

“Porcelain!”  Coach Sylvester called.  “Go get changed and then get out of here.”

“Yes Coach.”  Kurt said and he ran toward the locker rooms.

Coach turned to Sebastian and quietly said as she looked around,  “Keep an eye on him tonight. Something around here smells fishy and I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

“Yes, ma’am.”  Sebastian said.  He understood. He felt it too.  

 

Kurt came out of the locker room with Puck and Sam.  Kurt ran up to Sebastian, grabbed his hand, and kissed him on the cheek.  Sebastian kissed him on the forehead and wrapped his arm around his waist.  They paid no attention to looks given to them from some people around them. Kurt introduced Nick and Jeff to Puck and Sam, although they both remembered Sam from his pizza delivery days.    

“Who’s up for some coffee and dessert?”  Jeff asked.  
“ME!”  Sugar said.  

“Ooohh, I heard you have a sweet ride.  Can I ride with you?” Jeff asked as he bounced up and down.  

“Sure, Cutie!  You can be my date!”  She said as she winked at him.  

Puck cleared his throat and shifted on his feet.  Kurt, Sebastian, and Nick were the only ones who noticed.  

Nick said as he winked, “We can _both_ ride with you, because Jeffie here is all mine.”  Nick knew Sugar was just teasing, but he sensed the tension with Puck.  “Seb, you can drive my car.”

“I’ll ride with you guys, if that’s okay.”  Sam said to Sebastian, “Finn was my ride, but he’s going out with Rachel.”

“Sure, Sam.”  Sebastian said.  “Mercedes? Tina?  Puck?”

“I’m going out with Mike in few minutes.  But thanks.”  Tina answered.

“I’ll go!”  Mercedes exclaimed.  

“I guess I’ll ride with you too, Sugar.”  Puck said, “If that’s okay.” He actually seemed kind of shy about it, and Kurt thought it was adorable.

“Of course, Sweetie.  You can ride with me any time.”  Sugar answered.

As they began to walk toward the parking lot,  Nick handed Sebastian the keys to his car. Seb leaned over and whispered, “Tell Puck about tonight, please.”

Nick nodded in understanding, and they were on their way.

 

When they arrived at the Lima Bean, everyone was good spirits.  Nick and Jeff were laughing as they got of Sugar’s car.

“Oh my gosh, Kurt, I love your friends.”  Jeff giggled as they walked into the coffee shop.  

“They are something else!”  Kurt smiled back. “I have to say, I love having my two groups of friends together and getting along so well.  It makes me happy.”

They sat enjoying their coffee, dessert, and each other’s company.  They told stories about their respective glee clubs, and about each other.  Sebastian and the McKinley kids all enjoyed hearing Nick and Jeff tell stories about when Kurt was Nick’s roommate at Dalton.  

Sebastian began getting that strange feeling of being watched again.  He noticed Kurt was fidgeting in his seat a little. He leaned over and whispered in Kurt’s ear, “Are you okay?”

Kurt just nodded his head yes, but did not say anything.  

Puck noticed the change in both boys behavior and began scanning the coffee shop.  Nick had told him about what happened at the game, and he was not happy about it. He didn’t notice anything of out he ordinary, but continued to watch anyway.   

Jeff was telling a particularly funny story about how Kurt accidentally walked in on he and Nick when he suddenly he stopped and his face paled. Everyone noticed. Sebastian started scanning the crowd, then he heard Kurt take in a deep breath at the exact moment he saw him. It was Cooper Anderson.  

Cooper didn’t say anything.  He grabbed his coffee, scanned the group with eyes, and then he was out the door.

“Who was that?”  Puck asked in a protective tone.

“Cooper Anderson.  Blaine’s brother.” Sebastian answered as he tightened his hold on Kurt. Kurt said nothing.  

Puck got up and started toward the door.

“Noah!”  Kurt hissed.

“Don’t worry, Princess.”  Puck said as he left the coffee shop.

“Stay here.”  Nick said to Sebastian and Kurt.  Nick, Jeff, and Sam all got up and hurried outside to see where Puck had gone.  

 

“Anderson!”  Puck said sternly as Cooper was starting to get into his car.  Cooper froze. “Are you stalking my boy?” Puck continued as Nick, Jeff, and Sam walked up behind him.

“ _Your_ boy?  Is Kurt that much of a slut now?”  Cooper spat.

Anger flashed across Puck’s face.  He lowered his voice as he got closer to Cooper.  “I wouldn’t talk about Kurt like that if I were you.  If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from him _and_ Sebastian.”

“What, are you their bodyguard, or something?”  Cooper growled.

Puck cocked his head.  “Something like that. It’s called being a friend.  It’s called caring about someone and not letting anything bad happen to them.  Something you Anderson’s seem to not understand.”

“I can do what I want, where I want.”  Cooper spat.

Puck gave a cocky grin, “Ya see, that’s where you’re wrong. My boy, Kurt, is an amazing guy. So is his boyfriend.  Do you know what happens when you’re as amazing as them?” Puck stepped closer. “You have friends.   _Lots_ of friends. They have half of McKinley’s football team on speed dial. The biggest of them all - Kurt’s overprotective stepbrother.  They have the entire Glee Club and Cheerios in their corner. Heard of Santana Lopez? Coach Sylvester? They’re already out for blood over what your brother did to Kurt.  The Warbler’s? Just as pissed."  Puck stepped even closer.  "So. Back. Off.” 

Cooper looked at Puck and then glanced behind him to see Nick, Jeff and Sam all standing there with their arms crossed, unwavering.  Now was not the time or place. What he wanted would have to wait.  He gave a quick nod and got in his car and drove away.

 

As Puck and the boys walked back into the Lima Bean, Sebastian was sitting with his arm around Kurt, holding him close.  The girls were reassuring them both that everything was going to be okay. Kurt and Sebastian both looked up as the boys approached.

“What did you do that for?!”  Kurt asked.

“I told you not to worry, Princess.”  Puck answered as he sat back in his seat next to Sugar.  She put her hand on his leg, and he looked at her and winked.

“All I have to say is, if I’m ever in trouble, I want Puck on my side!”  Jeff laughed.

Nick told them what happened, and everyone was a bit relieved.  It didn’t make Kurt or Sebastian feel better that it was probably Cooper watching them, but at least now they had an answer to ‘who’ it might be.  Now they knew who to watch for.

 


	13. First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt and Sebastian go on their first official date. Speaking french, stargazing, police, and sexy times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know if you think I should change the rating of this fic to an E instead of an M. Again, this is my first fic, and I have never in my life written a sex scene (or almost sex scene), so I hope it's okay. Comments and Kudos make my day!

 

The following morning, Sebastian was telling his parents about the events of the night before.  He and Kurt were both feeling a mixture of emotions. The were glad to know that these feelings weren’t just something they had made up in their heads, but they were uneasy that an Anderson was behind it.  Neither of them trusted anyone in the Anderson family.

Robert agreed that they should not be trusted.  He gave Sebastian a warning to trust his instincts, especially since they had been right so far.  He hoped that this didn’t go any further. As a lawyer, his mind sometime went to the worst case scenario.  Unfortunately, there wasn’t much he could do for now.

 

……………

 

Sebastian pulled up to the Hummel-Hudson home at exactly 6:30.  He was wearing nice dark gray pants with a black belt and dress shoes. His tight deep purple dress shirt with the sleeves rolled to ¾ length showed off his muscular build.  He looked damn good.

He stepped out of his corvette with a dozen beautiful red roses in hand.  He had butterflies in his stomach as he approached the door. _Why are you nervous, Smythe?  You’ve already kissed him, met his family and friends, and slept in his bed… twice.  Get a grip._ He took a deep breath and knocked.

When Kurt answered the door, he was dressed in tight back dress pants, a tight deep green dress shirt that had a bit of a shimmer to it, and a black vest that was adorned with a starburst brooch.  He smiled shyly at Sebastian when their eyes met.

“Wow… Uhm, these are for you.”  Sebastian said as he handed Kurt the roses. “You look  amazing, Babe.”

“Oh.  So do you. Thanks. Nobody has ever given me flowers before.  They’re beautiful. Thank you.” Kurt blushed. “Come in. Let me go put these in some water.”

Sebastian stepped inside and greeted Burt and Carol in the living room as Kurt retreated to the kitchen.  

“Wow, you look handsome!”  Carol gushed.

“Where are you two headed tonight?”  Burt asked.

“Thank you, Carol.  Um, we have reservations at Vivace Cuisine the new French restaurant, at 7.  I was thinking maybe we could go to the planetarium after dinner, if time allows.”  Sebastian answered.

“That sounds lovely, Sweetie.”  Carol said. “Oh, what beautiful flowers!”  She said as Kurt brought the flowers, now in a vase, into the living room and set them down on an end table.  

“Aren’t they lovely?”  Kurt replied. He turned to Sebastian, “Are you ready, Bas?”

“Be home by midnight.”  Burt said. “And you two be careful.”  He had been told about the events of the night before, and he was a bit uneasy about it.  But if Kurt was safe with anyone, he felt Sebastian was it.

“Okay, Dad.”  Kurt answered.  Sebastian put his hand on his back, and led them out the door.

As soon as they were out the door, Carol turned to Burt and said, “They look so good together.  Really happy, too.”

“Yeah, he seems like a keeper.”  Burt grinned, but never took his eyes off the TV.

 

…………..

 

Sebastian and Kurt arrived at Vivace Cuisine right on time.  They were seated at small table by a side window. It was very private space, and in Kurt’s opinion, very romantic.

The waiter came by and took their drink orders, and Kurt and Sebastian began looking over the menu.  

“Oh, it’s in French.  Do you need help reading the menu?”  Sebastian said as he looked up at Kurt over his menu.  

“Nope.”  Kurt said, popping the ‘p’ at the end.  He smirked.

Sebastian’s eyes widened and he smiled.  “You...uh… speak French?” He had a warm feeling inside, and he could feel his cheeks heating up.

Without looking up from the menu, Kurt replied, “Pourquoi oui je fais. Je le parle et je le lis. Assez bien, en fait.” (Why, yes, I do.  I speak it and I read it. Quite well, actually.)

Sebastian cleared his throat and quietly said,  “Tu es vraiment parfait.” (You really are perfect.)  

Kurt looked up from his menu and smiled shyly at Sebastian.  “Parfait, non Parfait pour vous ... Peut-être.” (Perfect, no.  Perfect for you... maybe.)

Sebastian smiled, set down his menu, and reached for Kurt’s hand.  “Oui. Je pense vraiment que tu es parfait pour moi. Je n'aurais pu imaginer quelqu'un d'aussi parfait pour moi.”  (Yes. I definitely think you are perfect for me. I couldn't have imagined anyone so perfect for me.)

 

Kurt and Sebastian ordered their dinner in French.  Kurt was pleased with himself that he had surprised Sebastian with the fact that he could speak French so well.  In fact, a good part of the evening’s conversation spoken entirely in French. They both enjoyed having someone else fluent in the language that could keep up.  Sebastian, especially, wasn’t sure there was a bigger turn on than Kurt’s soft, sweet voice, speaking French.

After dinner they headed to Allen Planetarium.  Sebastian opened the door for Kurt as they walked inside.  The large domed building was impressive. There was a large, as in giant, telescope in the middle of the room, with a small set of stairs that lead up to the eyepiece.  

“Wow.  That’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be.”  Kurt said as they looked at the telescope.

Sebastian bit his bottom lip.  Now was not the time to make joke about the innuendo, but he really wanted to.  

“Welcome to Allen Planetarium!”  A young woman said as she entered the room. “Have you been here before?”

“No.”  Sebastian said, and Kurt shook his head.  

“Well, feel free to look around.  The telescope is set up to look at the Andromeda Galaxy.  It’s over 2.5 million light years from earth.  Too far to resolve individual stars without a powerful telescope.  So unless you’re someplace like this, you won’t see it. If you would like to point the telescope in another direction, simply turn this wheel and it will rotate at the same time as the roof.”

“As the roof?”  Kurt asked.

“Yes, the roof is made up of a series of panels that open and close, so as you turn the wheel, one panel will close and the one at the other end of the opening will open.”

“Wow.  Thank you.”  Sebastian said.

“You’re welcome.  Let me know if you have any questions.  I’ll be out front. My name is Natalie. Just yell if you need me.”  And at that, she left them on their own.

Kurt walked over and climbed the small steps.  “Okay, lets see what Andromeda looks like.” He looked through the eyepiece for a minute.  “Bas, look at this! It’s amazing. So many stars. And the colors!” Kurt exclaimed.

Sebastian smiled and climbed the stairs and to stand next to Kurt, who was still looking through the telescope.  Sebastian put his hand on Kurt’s back to let him know he was there.

Kurt pulled away and smiled at Sebastian as he took his turn to look through the eyepiece.  

“Wow.”  Sebastian took a few moments to look.  “This _is_ amazing.  It’s like the pictures you see in science books, only real.”  

“Let’s move the roof!”  Kurt went down and turned the wheel.  It was easier than he thought it would be.

Sebastian thought it was adorable how excited he was. Once they had experimented with looking at the night sky from different angles, they decided to take a walk around the park that surrounded the main building. They held hands as they walked the pathway.  Both content in the silence. They were just happy to be together.

When they spotted a bench nestled among some flowerbeds, they decided to sit for awhile.  As they looked up at the night sky using only their bare eyes, Sebastian said, “It’s amazing that’s there’s so much out there that we can’t see.”  

Kurt replied, “Hmm.  Kind of like people.”

Sebastian turned to look at his boyfriend.  

Kurt continued, “You know.  There’s so much more to people than what you can just see on the outside.  Like Noah. Badass, mohawk wearing, rock n’ roll Noah is one of the sweetest guys I’ve ever met.”

“Mhmm.”  Sebastian nodded in agreement.

“And David.  You would never know by looking at him that he’s struggling so much internally with who he is,"  Kurt continued and Sebastian nodded. “And then there’s people who seem okay, but are actually closeted violent assholes.”  Kurt smiled sadly at Sebastian.  Sebastian turned to Kurt and put his hand on his face as Kurt continued.  “And then there’s people like you. Gorgeous on the outside, and even more gorgeous on the inside.”

Sebastian stroked Kurt’s face with his thumb.  He looked Kurt in the eye, and then down at his delicious looking lips.  He leaned over and softly kissed Kurt for several minutes.  When he pulled away, he looked Kurt in the eye again.  He wanted Kurt to really know who he was. Including his past.  Sebastian took a deep breath and said, “I feel like I need to tell you about Paris.”

“Hmm.  Okay. You don’t make that sound very good.”  Kurt replied.

“Well… I… I’m different now than I was then.”

“How so?  It’s been less than two months.”

“Well, I told myself that when I returned to the states, I was going to start fresh.  Be the person I wanted to be. Be someone my parents and Leah could be proud of.” Sebastian sighed.  “I wasn’t mean or anything. I was still me, only I was a bit more… wild.”

Kurt looked confused and interested at the same time.  “Wild? What kind of wild?”

Sebastian said, “Well, I went out to clubs and bars some.  Not every night or anything, but….I was a bit of a...um…”

“Did you sleep around?”  Kurt asked bluntly, trying to save Sebastian from struggling to find the words.

Sebastian cleared his throat and paused.  He couldn’t look Kurt in eye. “Not the way some people assumed.  My behavior certainly made people assume that I was, uh, sleeping around.  I would flirt relentlessly with anyone I found attractive. I messed around...Did things.  I’m not a virgin,” He sighed again, “but I didn’t sleep with anything that moved, like some people thought.  I didn’t really correct them about that either though.”  Kurt put his hand on Sebastian’s back, and Sebastian continued.  “I never brought anyone home to meet my family. Not until you.”

Kurt gave Sebastian a warm grin.  “It’s okay, Bas. That doesn’t bother me.  None of it does. As long as you’re the same Sebastian that I met at the Lima Bean, none of that matters.”  He rubbed Sebastian's back where his hand was resting. “Sometimes people need to go through things, or even _do_ things, to make them become who they are, or who they’re meant to be.  You’re an amazing person, Bas. All of that made you who you are right now.  I for one, wouldn’t change any of it.”

Sebastian smiled softly at his boyfriend. “You’re amazing.  And I promise, the me that you know, is the real me. I was lost then.  I was searching for something that was impossible to find in the way I was looking.  I decided that when I came back here, I was going to try hard to just be the real me.  And whatever it was I was looking for, which I didn’t even know what it was at the time, would just find me.”  He rubbed Kurt’s cheek with the back of his hand. “Turns out, it was you I was looking for.”

Kurt leaned over and kissed Sebastian.  It started out soft and sweet, but quickly became more passionate and heated.  When they pulled away, they were both a bit breathless.

“We should start headed home.”  Sebastian said. “It’s getting late.”

 

On the drive home, Kurt was deep in thought as he looked out the window.  “Are you okay?” Sebastian asked. He was a bit worried that Kurt was rethinking everything he said about him being okay with Sebastian’s behavior in Paris.

“Hmm?  Yeah, I’m fine.  Just thinking.” Kurt said.

“Can ask what about?”

“Well… If you don’t mind me asking….When was the last time you slept with someone?”  Kurt looked out the window.

“Oh…”  Sebastian took a deep breath.  He hoped this wasn’t the beginning of the end. “Um, four months ago.”  He glanced at Kurt and waited for what seemed like a lifetime for his response.

“Okay.  Well, you should get tested.”  Kurt looked at Sebastian. “I don’t plan on staying a virgin forever.”  He smiled.

Sebastian choked on air,  “Oh my god, Babe. You can’t say things like that to me while I’m driving.  I could crash.” He chuckled. “Actually, I’ve already been tested. I’m all clean.  I’ve always been safe, Kurt. But when I said I wanted a fresh start… I also wanted _clean_ start.  It was one of the first things I did when we moved back.”

Kurt smiled.  “Good. I knew you were smart.”  He winked.

Sebastian paused for a beat, and then asked, “So have you been tested?  You said you were a virgin, but there are other things besides penetrative sex that can give you an STD.”

Kurt blushed and shyly answered, “I’m a virgin at pretty much everything, Sebastian.  Blaine never touched me below the waist until that night at Scandals. We pretty much only kissed, and there was no one before him.”  Kurt wanted to make sure Sebastian understood, so he added, “It’s not that I didn’t want to. _He_ didn’t want to.  So, I guess we don’t have anything to worry about.”

Sebastian sighed. “Babe, I’m sorry.  The more I learn about that asshole, the more I hate him.  I didn't even know I could hate someone so much. And,” he paused, “I may be selfish in thinking this way, but I’m glad that you guys basically didn’t do anything.  I would hate for you to have given any more of yourself than he deserved. Which is basically nothing.”

“Good point.”  Kurt grinned. “See… smart!  You’re always smart!”

 

………………….

 

When they arrived back at Kurt’s house, they exited the car and both immediately froze.  There it was again. That feeling. They looked at each and just knew.

Sebastian calmly said, “Let’s go inside, Babe.”

They walked to the front of the car and Sebastian wrapped his arm around Kurt. They quickly and quietly made their way to the house.  Once inside, Sebastian turned around and locked the door. He immediately went to the back door to make sure it was locked. Kurt made his way to the front window and closed the curtains.  

“What’s going on?”  Burt asked.

“We both feel it.”  Kurt answered. “Someone’s eyes.  We didn’t even need to talk about it.  We just knew.” There was a visible shiver.

Sebastian made his way back into the living room. “Did you tell him?”

“Yeah.”  Kurt answered.

“Burt, we were outside at the planetarium for at least an hour tonight, and we were fine.  Neither of us felt weird or unsafe at all. The moment we stepped out of the car here, we could feel it.”  

Kurt had walked over to Sebastian while he was talking and they held each other.

“I’m calling the police.”  Burt said.

He called the police and explained that someone had been watching his son on several different occasions.  He explained the case against the Anderson’s and the run-in with Cooper. They agreed to come to the house and check out the property.  

“Give me your phone, Seb.  I’m calling your parents.” Burt demanded.  

Sebastian wordlessly handed Burt his phone.

“Seb?”  Robert answered.  

“No, sorry, Robert.  This is Burt Hummel. Sebastian is fine, but the boys came home from their date and felt like they were being watched again.  I’m assuming you know about last night?”

“Oh my.  Yes, Burt, I do.”  Robert answered.

“Well, I’ve called the police.  They’re coming over to check things out.  But I’d like to keep Sebastian here for the night.  I don’t want him going out alone right now. I don’t feel comfortable with that.”   Burt said.

“I agree.  Thanks for watching out for him, Burt.”  Robert said. “Tell him we’ll see him tomorrow.  Please let me know if there are any new developments.”

“Will do.”  Burt answered.  He hung up and looked at the boys.  They were holding each other and both watching him.  “Well, kid, you’re staying here. Go get some clothes from Sam.  You can sleep downstairs in Kurt’s room IF you promise to behave.”

“Of course, Burt.  Thank you.” Sebastian said.  

Sebastian ran up to Sam’s room and knocked.  When Sam opened the door, he was surprised to see Sebastian.  “Hey, man. What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to raid your closet again.  I’m spending the night.”

Sam raised his eyebrows, “Really?”

Sebastian said, “Yeah, well, it’s not for a fun reason.  Kurt and I got home from our date and felt like we were being watched.”  He continued talking while Sam was getting him clothes. “Burt called the police.  They’re on their way to check it out. He doesn’t want me to leave.”

“Well that sounds like a good call.  Do you think it’s Cooper?”

“Yeah, I do.” Sebastian answered.  “But I guess we just have to wait and see.”  Sam handed him sweats and a t-shirt. “Thanks man. And, could you tell Finn?  He might freak out if he looks out the window and sees the police outside.”

“Sure.”

 

Sebastian made his way back down to Kurt as quickly as possible, with clothes in hand. “Hey, Babe.  Why don’t you go downstairs and get changed. I’ll use the bathroom up here.”

Kurt shook his head.  “I’m not going anywhere by myself.  Come down with me. You can use my bathroom to change.”

“Okay.”  Sebastian answered.  He kissed Kurt’s forehead and then put his hand on his back and lead them downstairs.  

 

The police arrived before the boys could even finish changing. They searched the property for anything suspicious, and sent a patrol car to drive around the neighborhood.  Two of the officers knocked on the door.

“Mr. Hummel?”  The officer asked as Burt opened the door.  “I’m Officer Weston, and this is my partner, Officer Miller.  We didn’t find anything or anyone suspicious. Can you tell me the reason you suspect someone is watching your son?  I know you mentioned it on the phone, but I would like to hear it with my own ears, if you don’t mind.”

At that moment, both Kurt and Sebastian walked in and sat together on the sofa.  
Finn and Sam were already seated on the floor, and Carol stood behind the chair where Burt sat.   Officer Weston nodded at them in acknowledgment and Burt continued to answer.

“My son, Kurt,”  Burt gestured toward Kurt, “was sexually assaulted.  The asshole is now in Juvenile Detention.  His boyfriend, Sebastian, saved him.  Ever since that incident, both boys have felt like someone has been watching them. Not all of the time, but sometimes.  Last night it happened at the Lima Bean, and it turns out the brother of the guy who did it was there. We think maybe it’s him watching them. When a friend of theirs told him to leave them alone, he said he could do what he wants, where he wants.  We don’t know what his intent is.”

Officer Miller was watching the boys.  She said, “Kurt, is that how you got the injuries on your face? They look mostly healed, but you can still see some marks.”  She smiled sadly at him.

“Yes ma’am.”  Kurt quietly answered.

Officer Weston watched as Sebastian put his arm around Kurt.  He looked at Sebastian and asked. “So you must be the boyfriend who saved him?  Did you break your hand in the process?”

“Yes.  Well, we weren’t boyfriends at the time, but yes.”  Sebastian answered.

Officer Weston gave a lopsided smirk and nodded his head.  

Officer Miller asked, “What is the name of the person who is accused of the assault, and what is the name of the brother?  Did you know the person who attacked you?”

“Yes, ma’am.  It was my ex boyfriend, Blaine Anderson. His brother’s name is Cooper.” Kurt answered shyly.

Officer Weston looked up from his notes.  “Do you know what kind of car either of them drive?

Kurt nodded his head.  “Yes, sir. Blaine drives a black Jeep.  I don’t know about Cooper. He normally lives in California, so I’m not sure he even has his own car here.  I’m not sure about their parent’s cars, either.”

“Thank you for your cooperation, boys.  Kurt, I’m sorry you had to go through that.  Both of you, actually.” Officer Miller said.  She turned to Burt. “Unfortunately there’s not too much we can do at this point.  I will make sure we step up patrol to your neighborhood. Especially at night.”

The boys and Burt thanked the officers, and they made their way out the door.  Burt made sure to lock the door immediately after they left.

“Alright everyone.”  Burt announced. “That’s enough excitement for the night.  Wake me if you need me. Don’t go outside unless you let me know.  Let’s get some sleep.”

Everyone said their 'goodnight's, and headed for bed.  

 

Kurt and Sebastian made their way to the bedroom.  Kurt was really quiet and sat down on the edge of his bed.  Sebastian sat beside him and put his hand on Kurt’s knee.

He quietly asked, “Are you okay, Babe?”

“I just feel violated again. Not in the same way, but still... I feel kind of dirty.  Like even if I showered, it still wouldn’t come off.”

“What can I do to help?  Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.  I’d do anything for you.” Sebastian said. He was desperate to take away Kurt’s pain or discomfort.

Kurt looked up at Sebastian with tears in his eyes.  “Please, Bas.” He said softly, “Make me feel something else.  Take it away and replace it.” He looked at Sebastian’s lips and whispered,  “Please.”

Sebastian leaned over and put his hand of Kurt’s jaw.  He kissed him soft and gentle. He turned Kurt and laid him down on the bed, and laid over him, propping himself up on his elbow.  He continued to kiss Kurt, but the kisses were slowly becoming more heated. When their tongues collided, Kurt moaned, and Sebastian thought he might cum just from hearing his boyfriend.  

Sebastian kissed Kurt along his jaw and down his neck. Kurt gripped Sebastian’s biceps and moaned some more.

“God, Baby, I love the way you sound.”  Sebastian said in a low raspy voice.

“Nnhn”  Kurt was writhing. “You feel so good, Bas.”

“Tell me what you want, Baby.” Sebastian breathed, “You need to tell me.”  With all Kurt had been through, he would not do anything without Kurt's permission.

“Touch me.  Please, Bas.  Touch me.”

“Of course, Baby.  Anything you want.”

Sebastian slipped his hand under the hem of Kurt’s shirt.  Kurt let out a small gasp. Sebastian couldn’t believe how soft Kurt was.  He let out his own moan. He slid his hand up Kurt’s abdomen to his chest. He caressed Kurt’s nipples as he kissed his neck.  

“More.  Please, Bas.”

Sebastian slid his hand down and brushed his fingertips along the waistline of Kurt’s pants.  “Can I?” He asked.

“Please.”

Sebastian slid his hand past the waistband and grabbed Kurt’s hard erection.  He almost lost it when he realized Kurt wasn’t wearing any underwear. “God, Baby.”  He whispered. He stroked Kurt slow and gentle at first.

Kurt asked, “Can I touch you?”

Sebastian moaned.  “Of course.”

Kurt reached his hand down and caressed Sebastian through his pants.  He slowly worked his hand into Sebastian’s pants and stroked his erection.  Sebastian let out a low, deep moan. Having his boyfriend touch him was the best feeling he had ever felt.

After a few minutes, Sebastian turned Kurt on his side.  Things were harder to do with a cast on his hand, so he needed a new angle.  They laid on their sides facing each other as they continued to kiss and stroke each other.  Sebastian lined them up and grabbed both of their erections in one hand and continued to stroke.  Kurt moaned and writhed.

“Kurt, Baby...  Oh my god!”  
“Bas!” Kurt was breathless.

Within seconds, Kurt was cuming, calling Sebastian’s name.  The sound of his name on his boyfriend’s lips as he came, made Sebastian cum seconds later.  

They held each other tight as they caught their breath.  “Sebastian…” Kurt kissed Seb on the lips, then the cheek, “Thank”... Kissed him on the forehead, then the other cheek, “you.”  He kissed him on the lips again.

Sebastian chuckled.  “Mmmm, no need to thank me, but I’ll take the kisses.”   Sebastian kissed Kurt back. “Let me clean us up.” He got up and cleaned himself off in the bathroom quickly before bringing back a wet, warm, washcloth.  He lovingly cleaned Kurt off, tossed the washcloth in the hamper, and crawled back in bed with his boyfriend.

Sebastian held Kurt.  He stroked his hair and kissed his forehead.  Kurt hummed softly and quickly fell asleep. He felt even more protective of Kurt now than he did before.


	14. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt shows he can handle himself.  
> Will Sebastian's protective, possessive nature be a good thing? Love wins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little mushy at the end, but that's how I like it ;)  
> Kudos and comments welcomed!

Kurt loved waking up in Sebastian’s arms.  It had become his new favorite thing. It kind of made him sad that he couldn’t do it every day, but he was happy he had gotten so many opportunities to do so already, even if the circumstances around the opportunities weren’t so pleasant.  

When Sebastian opened his eyes, he saw Kurt staring at him.  Kurt didn’t look away shyly, like he might have in the past. Instead, he just grinned, and looked Sebastian in the eye.  He was totally falling for Seb. Scratch that… He had already fallen. Hard.

Sebastian smiled softly and brushed the hair off of Kurt’s forehead. He ran his hand down Kurt’s face, stopping at Kurt’s eye that had been blackened before.  He ran his thumb softly over his skin.

“You’re eye looks almost completely healed.”  Sebastian said. He looked up at the cuts on his forehead, and eyebrow.  “The cuts you have left are almost gone too.” He kissed his forehead. “You’re looking as beautiful as ever.”

Kurt just continued to grin at him, but did not say a word.

“Babe?”  Sebastian gave a questioning look.  “Are you okay?"

Kurt smiled.  “Wonderful.” And he gave his boyfriend a wink.

Sebastian just chuckled and held Kurt even tighter as they both sighed.

 

The boys headed upstairs for breakfast where the rest of the family was already gathered around the table.  Kurt poured himself and Sebastian a cup of coffee. The boys gathered breakfast from the counter and then joined the rest of the family at the table.  

“Sleep okay boys?”  Burt asked.

“Mhmm.”  Kurt answered since his mouth was full.  Sebastian nodded.

“Do you have any plans today?”  Carol asked.

“Well, I’m going to have to go home before too long so I can see my parents and pack up so I go back to Dalton.  Warblers have a council meeting tonight at 8.” Sebastian answered.

Kurt gave a questioning look.  “Are you on council?”

Sebastian grinned, “I was voted Captain on Friday.  I guess I forgot to tell you.  I get a little distracted when I'm around you.”  He chuckled.  Council consisted of three Warblers who were voted on the year prior, and then a Captain who was voted on in the current year.  Sebastian was thrilled that he had been accepted by the group so easily.

Kurt grinned, “Wow!  Congratulations!”

“Yeah, Dude.  Congrats and all… But you do know you’re sleeping with the enemy now, right?”  Finn said bluntly.

Both Kurt and Sebastian choked on their food.  Both turned red. Everyone, even Burt, was chuckling at their expense.

“What?”  Finn said sort of  innocently. “You _did_ sleep last night.”  He turned to Sam and wiggled his eyebrows with a smirk.  Sam just shook his head at Finn’s antics.

“I guess we’re rivals.”  Sam added.

“I guess so.”  Sebastian responded with a cocky grin.

“Well, I don’t think we need to worry about that right now.  We never choose our competition songs until the the week before anyway.  I guess you could say we work best under pressure. At least I’m assuming it’s still that way.”  Kurt said as he looked at Sam and Finn.

“It is.”  Sam and Finn both answered at the same time.   Sebastian looked surprised.

“I’m not worrying about Glee right now anyway.”  Kurt added. “Cheer competition is next weekend. Coach is going to work our butts off this week.”

“Are you singing for that again this year?”  Finn asked.

“Yep.  Tana and Britt are too.”  Kurt answered.

“You sing at a Cheer competition?”  Sebastian asked.

“Yeah.  We won Nationals when I sang Celine Dion in French for 14 minutes straight.  I guess that’s why Coach wanted me back this year. She likes to do things other teams can’t, or won’t... Or just don’t even think about.”  Kurt smirked. He was loving the look on Sebastian’s face. It was mix of being surprised, turned on, and impressed.

“Wow.”  Seb whispered.

“That, and you’re really flexible.”  Sam winked.

Sebastian nearly choked.  Again, he was totally a mixture of emotions.  Turned on and possessive. _How would Sam know if Kurt was flexible?  He better be talking about cheerleading only._  Sebastian thought.

“That’s my cue to leave.”  Burt chuckled. He knew the boys were trying to tease Sebastian.  But he didn’t want or need to hear any of it.

“Meee too.”  Carol added. “Have a good day boys.”  And they both left the room.

Kurt leaned back in his chair with his legs stretched out, crossed at the ankle, and coffee in his hand.  Sebastian turned back to look at him, and Kurt just winked. Sebastian was starting to think that the sassy Kurt he met the first week was coming back in full force… And he was loving it.

“So, Kurt, tell us about the Cheer routine.  Santana said it was super sexy.” Sam said.

“Nope.  If you want to know about it, you have to come to the competition.”  Kurt answered. “But I guess it is sexy. If you’re into that sort of thing.”

“What sort of thing?”  Sebastian asked.

“Not telling.  But I think you’ll like it.”  Kurt wiggled his eyebrows at him again.  “Are you coming next weekend?”

“I wouldn’t miss it.  I’m pretty sure Nick and Jeff are coming too.  They were mad I hadn’t invited them to the game, and kind of already invited themselves anyway.”  Sebastian smiled as he said it. He was happy to have made so many friends upon his return to the States.

“I think Sugar wants to go.  Do you think she could tag along with you?”  Kurt asked.

“Sure!  I’ll text her about it.”

“You have her number?”  Kurt was surprised.

“Yep.  And Sam’s, Puck’s, and Finn’s.”  Kurt gave him a questioning look. “We all exchanged numbers in case something happens.  They all have my number too. And I think Niff exchanged numbers with Sugar as well.”

“Huh.  Well, thank you all for caring so much.  I love that you all get along so well, too.”  Everyone just smiled at him. There was no need to say anything else about it.

Everyone was quiet for a few minutes until something dawned on Sebastian.  “Wait! If you won Nationals a couple of years ago, then there’s _got_ to be YouTube video of it!”  His face brightened as he spoke.    
Kurt was still leaning back in his seat, legs crossed at the ankles, coffee mug in hand.  He just looked at his boyfriend and blushed a bit. Sebastian watched as Kurt wordlessly got up and went to the sink to rinse out his mug.  Finally he said, “There might be.” He knew where this was going. Especially with his brothers in the room.

Sam and Finn were smiling, waiting to see what Kurt’s reaction would be.  Then Sam couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Oh my god, Kurt. You know he’s going to look it up when he gets home anyway.”  He turned to Sebastian, “There’s _definitely_ a video.   _And_ there’s probably a video of every performance Kurt has ever done as a part of Glee Club.  Well, New Directions, anyway. There’s some of all of us, actually. Jacob Ben Israel records everything and puts it on his website, JBI.  He had an entire section just for Glee, and another just for Cheerios.”

Sebastian was beaming from ear to ear.  “Okay, Babe. You know Sam is right. I’m definitely going to watch them.  Do you want me to do it with you, or when I get back to school?”

Kurt sighed and smiled.  “Let’s go watch Nationals and then you can watch the rest on your own.”

Kurt and Sebastian sat on Kurt’s bed and watched the video together.  “Oh my god, Babe. This is incredible. You, plus the cheerleading uniform, plus French, plus singing, plus the spotlight… That is _so_ hot.”  Sebastian leaned over and kissed Kurt.  The kiss soon became a little heated, and turned into a full on make-out session.  

“Mmmm. Babe, we better stop.”  Sebastian breathed.

Kurt kissed him again, and then pulled away with a whimper, “I know.  But I really don’t want to.”

“I don’t either.  But your family is upstairs, and I should be going soon.”  He sighed, “I don’t want to leave you.”

“And I don’t want you to go.”  Kurt said. “But I can’t keep you from your family and school.”

After a little more kissing, the boys said their goodbyes again.  It was always the worst part of when they got to see each other.

 

……………….

 

When Sebastian got home, he took a shower and packed his things to return to school.  His parents weren’t home when he got home, so he decided to wait for them.  He plopped down on the couch and found Jacob Ben Israel’s website. He clicked the New Direction’s tab and was shocked at the number of videos.  He scrolled through, looking for ones of just Kurt. He was surprised there weren’t more of Kurt with solos. He had heard him sing karaoke at Scandals, and knew he was amazing.  

He finally found one of Kurt singing Defying Gravity.  He watched in awe as his boyfriend hit incredibly high notes.  His parents had gotten home, but Sebastian hadn’t noticed. He was too into the video.  They made their way into the living room where Sebastian was lounging on the couch watching Kurt.  

“Wow, who is that singing?”  His mom asked as she walked in, not seeing the video yet.

Sebastian startled.  “Oh my gosh, I didn’t know you had gotten home.  You startled me!”

“Sorry, Seb.  What are you watching?  Who is singing that?” His mom asked as she made her way over the the couch.

“It’s Kurt.”  Sebastian beamed.  “Isn’t he incredible?”  

Robert raised his brows.  “That’s Kurt? Good lord, he can sing high.”

“Yep.  He hit a high F in this one.”  Sebastian grinned. When the song ended, he clicked another video.  It was Kurt and the rest of New Directions singing Lady Gaga’s Born This Way.  Both Robert and Victoria were standing behind the couch, watching over Sebastian’s shoulder.  When Kurt started off the song in much lower register than Defying Gravity, Robert said, “It’s hard to believe that’s the same voice!”

“His range is magnificent.  He can go even lower.” Seb replied without taking his eyes off his boyfriend.  Seeing Kurt’s _Likes Boys_ shirt, he quietly added, “I hope he still has that shirt.”

Both of his parents giggled.  

Victoria said, “Does he want to sing for a living?”

“Mmm, he’s undecided right now.  He either wants to go to school for performing arts, or for fashion design.  But he definitely wants to be in New York.”

“Well that works in your favor, huh?”  His mom said as she bumped him on the shoulder before walking over to the chair.

Sebastian smiled wide, “Yes, it does.”  When the song was over, he clicked the video of Kurt singing A House Is Not A Home.  

“Wow,” All three Smythe’s said.  Sebastian added, “Oh my god, he’s in his Cheerio’s uniform…”

His parents just chuckled.  They knew their son had it bad.  

When the song was over, his parents asked him how the date had gone.  Sebastian beamed as he told his parents how well things had gone. They couldn’t help but notice how excited Seb was that Kurt spoke fluent French.  They themselves were impressed, as well.

“When we got to the restaurant, the menu was in French, so asked if he need me to help him read it, he said ‘no’.  So asked if he spoke French. He answered me by saying ‘“Pourquoi oui je fais. Je le parle et je le lis. Assez bien, en fait.” (Why, yes, I do.  I speak it and I read it. Quite well, actually.)’  I thought I was going to lose it!  Most of our time at the restaurant was spent speaking in French.  It was so nice.”

He continued telling his parents about the planetarium and how cute Kurt was when he got excited about something.  He told them that he was totally honest with Kurt about his past. They were impressed with their son’s maturity.

“And what happened when you took him home?”  Robert asked.

Sebastian cleared his throat and told his parents about the feeling they had both gotten. “We were outside at the planetarium for at least an hour, and nothing bothered us.  Then we get to his house, and bam, there was that feeling. I really think it’s Blaine’s brother, Cooper.”

“What would he want?”  Tori asked.

“I have no idea.”  Sebastian answered.  

They all thought about it for awhile.  Would he want revenge? If so, wouldn’t he have acted on it by now?  Would he want information? Proof of something? They just couldn’t figure it out.

 

……………

 

Sebastian was back at Dalton and was lounging in the Warbler’s meeting room waiting on the rest of the council to arrive.  He was watching some more videos of Kurt singing when Nick walked in.

“Awe, man, I thought Kurt was back when I heard that…”  Nick said.

“I wish.”  Sebastian sighed.  

“Missing your boyfriend, are you?”  Nick chuckled.

“So much.”

“What site are you on?”  Nick asked.

“Some guy from McKinley has a website.  JBI. He records _all_ of New Directions performances...and Cheerio’s.  Sam told me about it so I could see Kurt’s Cheerleading Nationals video.  Now I’m hooked.”

“Well, there may be a video or two of him from when he was a Warbler.  I know a couple of guys would record things on their phones last year. You’d have to check YouTube.”

Sebastian was more than intrigued.  He immediately clicked off of the JBI website and went to YouTube.  There were tons of videos, but he couldn’t find any of Kurt.

“What are some songs I should be looking for?  I can’t find any.”

“Hmm.  Try Blackbird.  Or Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.  Or Candles. Those would be just him or him in a duet.”  Nick added that last part quietly. Sebastian shot him a look.  He was pretty sure he knew who the duet was with.

A minute later, he found Blackbird. “God, he’s amazing.”  Sebastian said as he watched.

“I see that look in your eyes.”  Nick said, looking at Sebastian. “By the end of that performance, Blaine had the same look.”  Sebastian gave him a questioning look.

“Blaine said he fell for Kurt during that performance.  You can probably catch a glimpse of Blaine in the video.”

“I hope not.”

And then there Blaine was.  Looking at Kurt like he was a fascinating new toy that he just had to have.  

“Damn it.”

“Yeah.  You might want to skip the Candles video.” Nick said, patting Sebastian on the shoulder.

Nick and Sebastian were interrupted when Thad and Matthew came in for the council meeting.  Sebastian didn’t know Matthew very well. He kind of kept to himself, though he always seemed friendly enough.  Thad, and his best friend Trent, were always around Nick and Jeff, so Sebastian felt pretty comfortable with Thad by now.  

“Gentlemen.” Thad said as he entered.  Sebastian quickly shut the video off.

“I know we need to discuss song selections for Sectionals, and talk about solos.  However, and Sebastian I know you’re Captain so I hope this is okay, but I think we need to discuss Blaine.”

Sebastian leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees.  “Of course.”

“Well, we have always said ‘once a Warbler, always a Warbler’.  However, I have done a little research, and it turns out that we do have the right to strip someone of the title.  Being at Dalton, and especially being a Warbler, comes with prestige and privileges. Council can decide to bring it to a vote with the Warblers as a whole, and we can strip Blaine of the title for good.  He would be removed from any and all lists, social media, rights, privileges, etc. What do you think?”

“I think it’s a no-brainer.  I wish there was more that we could do.”  Sebastian said. His voice and expression stone cold.  

Thad put his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, “I know.  But at least it’s something.”

“Yeah.  Thanks, Thad.  I appreciate it.  I’m sure Kurt will too.”

 

The following day, it was a unanimous vote to strip Blaine of his Warbler title.  Sebastian and Kurt were both glad that they were at least taking steps toward Blaine’s punishment.

 

…………...

 

When Wednesday came around, neither of the boys could take being apart anymore, so they agreed to go to Lima Bean after cheer practice.  

 

**From Sebastian:**

I can pick you up after practice.  4:30?

 

**From Kurt:**

Yes, that would be great.  You can come to my place for dinner after.  

 

 **From Sebastian:**  

Perfect.  See you then, Babe.

 

**From Kurt:**

Can’t wait!

 

Four thirty rolled around and Sebastian was waiting outside McKinley, leaning up against his car.  Quinn came walking out with the three cheerleaders that Sebastian had seen the first week after Scandals.  

“Hey hot stuff.  Nice to see you back.”  The first cheerleader said as she winked at Sebastian.  

He smirked and shook his head.  “Just waiting on my boyfriend, ladies.  Quinn, it’s nice to see you again.” He was such a charmer.  He hadn’t really talked to Quinn other than a couple of brief introductions and hellos, but since he knew her name, he figured he might as well use it.

“You too, Sebastian.  Kurt will be a little bit.  Coach kept him, Santana, and Brittany for a few minutes.”  

“Yeah, I heard they were doing something special, but Kurt won’t tell me what.”  Seb answered.

The girls giggled and then Quinn replied, “Yeah, I can see that.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, “Should I be worried?”

“Not about Kurt.  He can't be swayed.”  Quinn answered.

A second cheerleader added, “But maybe about Santana and Brittany.  They end up making out afterwards each time we practice.”

“Hmmm…”  Sebastian wasn’t sure how he felt about this.  He was a little worried. For now, he figured he would just have to suck it up.  

At that, the girls were out of there, smiling ear to ear.  

 

Several minutes later, Kurt, Santana, and Brittany came out.  As soon as Kurt saw Sebastian, he ran and gave him a hug. “Mmmm.  Missed you.”

“I missed you too, Baby.  So much.” Sebastian gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.

“Aren’t the dolphins cute?”  Brittany squealed.

Sebastian looked at Kurt with question.  “Dolphins are gay sharks.” Kurt answered.  

“Okaaay.”

“I know.”  Kurt whispered.

“Ya know, Sebastian, your boyfriend is one sexy man.  You better keep your eye on him.” Santana said as she raised one eyebrow and looked Kurt up and down.

Kurt could almost hear Sebastian growl.  

“What is that supposed to mean?”  Seb frowned as he tightened his grip around Kurt’s waist.  

Kurt didn’t mind this possessive side of Sebastian.  He actually really liked it. It made him feel wanted and loved.  Safe and protected. He actually kind of needed that.

“Oh nothing.  You’ll see on Saturday.”  She wiggled her eyebrows.

“Tana, be nice to the dolphin.  He loves Porcelain. And Porcelain loves him.  Look at them.” Brittany whispered.

Kurt had distracted Sebastian with a passionate kiss. Neither of them heard a word the girls were saying.  

“Hot.”  Santana sighed.

 

Eventually, the boys parted and noticed the girls had already walked off.  They got in the car and headed to Lima Bean.

 

The boys chose to sit on a couch in one of the lounge areas of the Lima Bean.   They sat sipping their coffee for a few minutes, just content at looking at each other.  

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as sexy as you sitting there in your Cheerio’s uniform sipping your coffee.”  Sebastian said quietly, unable to take his eyes off of his boyfriend.

Kurt gave him a sly smile.  “I don’t know. You in your private school uniform… in all your gorgeousness… has me beat.”

“Mmm, no.  But I bet we look odd to the outsider.  Private school brat with the public school cheerleader.”  They both laughed.

“It works.”  Kurt tilted his head and played with the lid of his cup.  He glanced up at Sebastian through his lashes. Sebastian was pretty sure he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life.  

“You’re going to be the death of me, Kurt Hummel.”

 

They sat for a few more minutes and then Sebastian excused himself to the restroom.  

While Sebastian was gone, Kurt sat sipping his coffee, staring out the window, thinking of his amazing boyfriend.  He was so happy. His thoughts were interrupted when a young man came and sat across from him.

“Hi there, beautiful.”  The guy said.

Kurt snapped out of his daydream, eyes wide.  “Umm…” He looked around to make sure the guy was talking to him.  Yep, no one else nearby.

“I’m Andrew.  What’s your name?”  The guy winked at him and looked at him up and down.  When Kurt said nothing for a few seconds, Andrew added, “You look amazing in that uniform.  Very… delicious.”

Sebastian came out of the restroom and noticed the guy sitting across from Kurt.  He couldn’t hear what he was saying, but he did hear Kurt as he approached.

Kurt said, “Look, Andrew, was it?  I don’t appreciate the way you’re looking at me like I’m a piece of meat.  I _would_ appreciate it if you stood up, and walked away.  Have a nice day.”

“Oh, come on Darlin’.  No harm in talking.” He licked his lips and was _not_ looking Kurt in the eye.

“Everything okay, Babe?”  Sebastian said as he walked up behind the couch where Kurt was sitting.  He put his hand on Kurt’s shoulder, but did not take his eyes off of Andrew.  You know the saying… If looks could kill…

Kurt put his hand on Sebastian’s and squeezed.  “It’s fine, Bas. Andrew was just leaving.”

“Was I?  I haven’t even learned your name yet.  'Babe', was it?” Andrew smirked. Sebastian wanted to leap over the couch and kill the guy.  But, he remembered a talk with Leah where she reminded him that sometimes people (meaning her at the time) need to save themselves, and only need rescuing if they can’t get things under control.  He would try to let Kurt handle it himself without him going ballistic on the guy.

“That’s a name only my _boyfriend_ gets to use.  Leave.” His voice and face cold.  

“Aww, Babe.  You haven’t given me a chance.  Let me show you what a real _man_ can do for you.” Andrew drawled as he stood.

At that, Sebastian was making his way around the couch to confront the asshole, but then suddenly Kurt stood up, quickly walked over to the asshole, and stood only a couple of feet in front of him.  “He is more of a man than you’ll ever be, considering the way you speak to me. I don’t appreciate it. But the minute you insult this man, who broke his hand on the face of the last asshole who insulted me, is the minute you will live to regret if you don’t get the hell out of my face.  I don’t have a broken hand, but I’m willing to see if your face can do the job.” Kurt spat.

“Sorry, Darlin’.  I’ll be going.” The guy raised his hands as if surrendering.  He stood, backed up a couple of steps and then turned to leave.  

As soon as he was out the door, the tension in Kurt’s shoulders released, and he let out a deep breath.  Sebastian had come up behind him as he was talking to the creep. He put his hand on Kurt’s shoulder. “Kurt...Are you okay?”  He could feel Kurt shaking.

“Yes.  I think I need to sit for a few minutes.”  

Sebastian put his arm around Kurt’s shoulder and lead them to the couch, pulling him down next to him.  He had his arms around him in a warm embrace. “I’m proud of you, Baby. You handled yourself very well.”

“Yeah, well,  I don’t know if we can come here anymore.  It seems like every time we do, another asshole comes out of the woodwork.”  He gave a dry laugh.

“True.”  Sebastian paused for awhile.  He shook his head, “God, I’m not sure how to feel right now.”

Kurt pulled back and gave Sebastian a questioning look. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s just that… I worry about you when I’m not around.”  Seb sighed. “I know you have the guys in glee looking out for you.  And that does make feel better. But, I’ve become very protective of you.  Like, I wanted to jump over the couch and kill that guy.” Kurt gave small smile. “Leah told me one time, when I was trying to come to her rescue, that sometimes people need to be able to save themselves, and should only be rescued if they really need it.  I tried to let you handle it. I don’t want you to think that I think you can’t. I know you can, but I don’t like it. You shouldn’t have to.”

Kurt rubbed Sebastian’s arms that were still holding him.  “Sebastian…”

“No, Babe.  I don’t know if what I’m feeling is okay.  I want you to be able to take care of yourself.  But at the same time, I want to do it. I want to take care of you, protect you, kill anyone who looks at you wrong.  Seeing you...after...at Scandals, did something to me. I can’t let anything like that even come close to happening to you again. I feel like I’m getting possessive.  I’ve never really had a boyfriend, and I don’t know if I’m going too far…” Sebastian pulled away a bit to really get a good look at Kurt. He was worried he had said too much, or that he was being too overwhelming.

“Sebastian.  I like that you are protective, and maybe a little possessive.  It makes me feel wanted and safe. I also appreciate that you let me handle things when I can.  I don’t want to go through life depending on everyone else to fight my battles. But knowing you’re in my corner, if I need you… That is all I could ever hope for.   Everything you are doing is perfect.” Kurt smiled at him softly and placed his hand on Seb’s face. He leaned over and kissed Sebastian. When he pulled away, he smiled again.

Sebastian smiled back.  He was so lost in Kurt’s eyes.  He stroked the side of Kurt’s face with the back of his hand.  “Kurt… I… I love you.”

Kurt’s breath hitched.  His eyes sparkled. A smile slowly formed on his face. He grabbed Seb’s face and kissed him hard.  When he finally pulled back, he rested his forehead on Sebastian’s. “I love you too, Bas. So much.”

Both boys embraced.  They world around them faded away, and the only thing left was each other and their love.  

 


	15. Cheer competition and a double date.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian is pretty much speechless after what he sees at the cheerleading competition.  
> A double date afterwords proves to have some challenges.  
> Puck and Sugar might be headed in the right direction. Maybe?  
> Meet Sugar's dad, Vinny.  
> *Not in that order, lol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for some derogatory language. I hope I described the cheer comp well enough. Next chapter may be up by the weekend!  
> Please leave comments and kudos! They help me to keep going! Seriously.

Thursday night, Sebastian was sitting in the student commons studying.  He was trying, anyway. His thoughts kept drifting to the boy he loves. _God, I love him.  I’m actually in love.  How did this even happen?  Kurt. That’s how it happened.,_ He thought.

Jeff was sitting across from him, and looked up and chuckled.  

“What?”

“You can’t concentrate.”

“And that’s funny?”  Sebastian raised an eyebrow.  

“It’s cute.  You can’t concentrate because you’re so in love.”  Jeff smiled. “I’m happy for you. And I’m especially happy for my Kurtsie.”  

“You mean _my_ Kurt.”  Sebastian smirked.

“Yeah, well, he may be your boyfriend, but he’ll always be _my_ Kurtsie.”  Jeff rolled his eyes.  

“Uh huh.” Sebastian said as he shook his head.

 

Sebastian grinned when he got a text.  

 

**From Sugar:**

Hey, Seb!  Can I tag along with you to Kurt’s cheer competition Saturday?

**From Sebastian:**

Absolutely!  I was going to see if you wanted to come, actually.  You beat me to it. I got distracted ;)

**From Sugar:**

Yeah, I heard.  I’m so happy for you both.  You make Angel so happy.

**From Sebastian:**

That goes both ways.  But thanks. Hey, are the guys going?

**From Sugar:**

Not sure…

 

“Who are you texting?  You’re grinning, but it’s not a Kurt-grin.” Jeff asked.

“Sugar.  She’s going with us on Saturday.”

“YAY!”  Jeff squealed.

 

**From Sebastian:**

Jeff just found out you’re going with us.  He squealed. Literally.

**From Sugar:**

Give him a hug from me!

**From Sebastian:**

Okay, but Sugar… You should talk to Puck.  Ask him if he’s going. It would give you an excuse…

**From Sugar:**

Seb, I’m done talking to you now…

**From Sebastian:**

Sugar!  

**From Sebastian:**

SUGAAAARRR!!!!!!

**From Sebastian:**

You’re going to pay for this….

 

Sebastian laughed.  “She stopped texting me when I suggested she talk to Puck to see if he was going.”

“They would be so good together. Maybe we need to do a little nudging at the competition.”  Jeff said as he wiggled his eyebrows.

 

Sebastian texted one more time.

**From Sebastian:**

Okay, stubborn.  We’ll pick you up at 10 since the competition is in Van Wert.  You’re on the way.

 

Jeff chuckled when his phone beeped.

**From Sugar:**

Tell Seb to behave.

**From Jeff:**

Not happening, Sweets.  I’m on his side.

 

“She wants you to behave.”  Jeff smiled. They both laughed and returned to their studies.

 

………….

 

Friday night found Sebastian at home hanging out with his family.  Kurt had an away game and was not going to be able to go out afterwards because of the competition the next day.  Seb’s mom had gone to pick Leah up earlier that day, so they were home by dinner time. Sebastian wished he could be with Kurt, but was also happy to have all of his family at home.  It didn’t happen that often since they had been back in the States.

As they gathered around for dinner, Leah wanted make one thing clear.  “You know I’m going with you tomorrow, right? I’m not missing Kurt’s cheer competition.”

Seb smiled, “It figures that’s why you came home.  It couldn’t have been because you missed your _brother_.  It had to be your brother’s boyfriend.”

Leah just shrugged and everybody chuckled.

Sebastian turned to his dad and asked, “Can I take the Range Rover tomorrow?  We’ll have five of us once we pick up Sugar.”

“Who is Sugar?  Is that her real name?”  Robert asked.

Sebastian laughed, “Sugar Motta.  Yes, it’s her real name. She’s Kurt’s best friend.”

Leah added, “And she’s awesome!  She’s so sweet… Maybe that’s why they named her Sugar.”

“Yes, taking the Range Rover would be fine.  Just be careful, especially with that many kids in the car.”  Robert said. “I wonder if she’s related to Vinny Motta?”

“I don’t know.  Who is he?” Seb asked.

“He’s a real estate investor.  Has tons of properties all over. And not just in Ohio.  Never met him, though.”

“Maybe.  I’m under the impression that they aren’t hurting for money.  She drives a sweet 55’ Chevy convertible that Kurt fixed up and restored.  It’s pink.” Sebastian smiled fondly.

Robert raised his eyebrows and Tori looked surprised.  “Kurt fixes cars?.... Kurt, your boyfriend.  The one who is always perfectly styled. Sings like he’s on Broadway...Same Kurt?”

Sebastian laughed, “Yes, Mom.  Same Kurt. He works at his dad’s garage.  He can rebuild an engine, change tires, oil...All of it. I’m telling you, there isn’t much Kurt can’t do.  That’s how he and Sugar met, actually. Her car was in bad shape, but he fixed it up. Well, I don’t think he did the paint.”

“Wow.  He is an impressive guy.  That’s for sure.” Robert smiled

 

.……………..

 

The next morning Jeff and Nick showed up at the Smythe’s, and everyone loaded into the Range Rover and headed to Lima to pick up Sugar.  

Sugar’s house was very large and modern on the outskirts of Lima.  Her Chevy was parked in the driveway, so they knew they had the right house.  “God, I love that car.” Jeff and Leah said at the same time. Sebastian stepped out of the car and went to the front door.  He rang the bell, and a large Italian man answered.

“Good morning.  I’m Sebastian Smythe.  I’m here to pick Sugar up to go to Kurt’s cheer competition.”

“Are you’re her new….?”  The man said as he raised an eyebrow.

“Friend, sir.  Actually, I’m Kurt’s boyfriend.”

“Oh!  Well, young man, I heard what you did for Sugar’s Angel.”  He reached out and shook Seb’s hand. “Thank you very much.  I love that kid. He’s been so good for Sugar.”

“Well, I’d do anything for him, sir.”

“Call me Vinny.”

“Okay, Daddy, are you done messing with Seb?”  Sugar said as she came up behind him.

“I’m not messing with anyone!  You kids have fun. Be careful.”  Vinny said as Sugar and Sebastian turned to leave.

“It was nice to meet you Vinny.”  

“You too, Sebastian!”  Vinny called to him as they walked down the sidewalk to the car.

 

Sugar climbed in back with Nick and Jeff.  “Sweets!” Jeff squealed as Sugar climbed in.

“Hi Jeffie!”  Sugar said as she gave him a hug.

Leah turned and smiled at Sugar as Seb climbed back into the driver’s seat.  “Hey Sugar!”

“Leah!  I’m so glad you’re coming with us. I didn’t know you were coming home this weekend.  Maybe this calls for a girl’s night tonight!”

“Yes!”  Leah was so excited.

“I’ll text the girls and Kurt.”  Sugar said as she got her phone out.  “Seb can just leave you at my house and I’ll take you home tomorrow.  You can wear my clothes since you don’t have a change of clothes with you.”

“I hate to break it to you, but Kurt and I are going to dinner tonight.  If he wants to go, though, I can drop him off at your place after.” Sebastian said.

“Well, let’s make it a double date for dinner then.”  Nick added. “That way you don’t have to take us back beforehand.  Is that okay, Jeff?”

“Of course!  I’m always up for time with Kurtsie.”

 

They were almost to Van Wert when Sebastian asked Sugar again if the guys were coming.

“Well, Puck and Sam are coming.  Finn had something with Rachel, and Mike had something with Tina’s family.  They have football practice, but they’ll come up later. We can save them seats.”

“Sooo… You talked to Puck?”  Sebastian asked.

“I did.”  Sugar said as she looked out the window.  

“And?”  Jeff asked.

“And that’s it.  I asked if they were going, and that’s the answer I got.  The end.”

Sugar sounded frustrated, so everyone dropped it.  They were hoping that the events of today would open up some more opportunities for Puck and Sugar to talk some more.

 

…………….

 

When they got to the competition, they sat with enough space between them that when Puck and Sam got there, they could squish together and make everyone fit.  Sugar was in front of Sebastian, and Leah was in front of Nick and Jeff.

The competition had already started when Puck and Sam arrived.  They had only missed two schools, and were there with plenty of time before McKinley went on.  Puck came and sat next to Sebastian, so Sam sat next to Sugar. Everyone was a bit disappointed in where Puck chose to sit, but nobody said anything.  Everyone hugged or shook hands and they settled in to watch the competition.

During the first couple of schools performances after the arrival of Puck and Sam, Sebastian noticed a couple guys a few rows in front of them and to the right. They kept looking back at Leah and Sugar.  It got to the point that it was making Sebastian uncomfortable. He wasn’t sure if it was his overprotective brotherly instinct taking over or not. He nudged Puck with his shoulder. “Puck, do see that?” He said as he nodded toward the two guys.

“Yeah, man.  I’ve been watching.  I don’t like it.” Puck said as he glared toward the guys.

“Well, my baby sister is off limits.  They look too old for her.” Sebastian leaned over and added in a quieter tone, “But Sugar _isn’t_ off limits. So if you don’t like when other guys check her out, shouldn’t that tell you something?”

Sebastian was pretty sure he heard Puck grunt.  Puck tapped Sam on the shoulder. “Hey, dude, switch seats with me.”

Puck and Sam switched seats.  Sugar looked up at Puck and smiled.

“Hey.”  Sugar said softly.  

“Hey.”  Puck replied and winked at her.

The next time the guys turned around to check out the girls, Puck was waiting.  All he had to do was stare at them and shake his head ‘no’. They didn’t turn around again.  Jeff nudged Seb’s shoulder and they gave each other a knowing smile.

 

When McKinley was announced to come on, everyone sat up straight and paid attention.  Nick got out his phone and began recording.

The lights in the gym went out as the Cheerios took the floor.  The beat started, and a spotlight hit the middle of the gym where Kurt was standing with his back to the crowd.  All of the Cheerios were gathered on either side of him. The closest to him were Brittany and Santana who were leaning their bodies up against him.  Brittany on the left, Santana on the right. Brittany had her hands on his shoulder and her knee bent up so that it rested behind his ass as she looked out at the crowd.  Santana had her left hand on the small of his back, and her other hand was wrapped around the front of his neck and thread through his hair on his opposite side. She faced Kurt with her chest against his arm.

Four other Cheerios were touching Brittany and Santana, but were lower toward the ground.  The Cheerios touching those four were lower still. The formation continued and made a triangle, with Kurt’s head being the highest point, and the Cheerios at the outer edge laying on the ground.  All of the cheerleaders had their hair teased out, and had thick black eyeliner and mascara. Kurt was wearing short cheer shorts, not his typical cheer pants.

“Oh my god.”  Sebastian said, unable to take his eyes off of his boyfriend.

Adam Lambert’s _If I Had You_ was playing, and Kurt began to sing, rocking his hips as he did. “So I got my boots on, Got the right amount of leather, And I’m doing me up with a black color liner,” He turned toward the crowd.  His hair was also spiked up and his eyes were lined, including a bit of mascara. His blue eyes popped.

“ _Oh my god_!”  Sebastian’s eyes were huge.  Sam laughed and patted him on the back.

Kurt continued to sing as he moved forward in a slow sultry strut that was mirrored by Brittany and Santana on either side of him, “And I’m working my strut but I know it don’t matter.  All we need in this world is some love.” The other Cheerios were doing less of dance and more cheer-style choreography around the gym floor. It was still sexy in it’s own right.

Brittany and Santana joined him on the chorus, “There’s a thin line between the dark side and the light side baby tonight,  It’s a struggle gotta rumble, tryin’ to find it, But if I had you, that would be the only thing I’d ever need,” They had reached the front of the gym floor and Kurt stood with his feet shoulder width apart and his hip popped, and chin up in the air.  As they sang along, Brittany and Santana were rubbing their hands on Kurt’s chest and back. Santana remained on his side and dropped to her knees with Kurt’s leg in between hers. She rubbed her hands on his thighs before standing back up with a body roll against him.  “Yeah if I had you, then money fame and fortune never could compete, If I had you, life would be a party, it’d be ecstasy, Yeah if I had you, You y-y-y-y-y-you, y-y-y-y-y-you, Y-y-y-y-y-you, If I had you.”

The rest of the song was sung in the same manner, with the moments of the Kurt, Brittany, and Santana joining in the cheer routine and alternating with the sultry, sexy dance. Sometimes Kurt’s hands were on the girls, and sometimes their hands were on him.  When the song ended, Kurt and the rest of the Cheerios were in the same position they started in, but Kurt was facing the crowd.

Before Nick turned the camera off, he turned it to Kurt’s friends to get their reaction.  Sebastian was staring at Kurt with eyes still wide. “Fuck” is all he could mumble. Everyone else was cheering and whistling as loudly as they could.

 

Everyone stayed until the award ceremony.  Kurt had to stay with the rest of the Cheerios.  The crowd went wild when McKinley Cheerios were announced as Champions.  Nick got everyone’s reaction on video. He was planning on splicing it all together and sending a copy to both Kurt and Sebastian.

As the crowds exited the stands, Sebastian and the rest of Kurt’s friends made their way over to where the Cheerios were gathered with their trophy and Coach Sylvester. As soon as Kurt saw Sebastian, he ran and jumped his arms.  Sebastian spun him around and held on tight.

“Oh my god, Baby, that was so fucking hot.  I think I need a cold shower now. You were amazing.”  Sebastian said as held his boyfriend.

Kurt giggled, “I’m glad you liked it.”

“Oh, I _loved_ it.  I don’t know about Santana and Brittany having their hands all over you.  But I’ll just imagine it was me.” Sebastian smiled.

Once Sebastian put Kurt down, everyone gave him hugs and congratulations.  “That was amazing, Kurtsie!” Jeff said as he was bouncing up and down.

“Super hot, Kurt.”  Nick said. Sebastian wacked him in the arm and everyone laughed.  

“I think you put Seb in a trance, Kurt.  That was amazing.” Leah smiled.

“I love your makeup, Angel!  So sexy.” Sugar smiled.

“I’m thinking we need to go somewhere that you can wear that eyeliner.  Or we could stay home and you could wear it.” Seb wiggled his eyebrows at him.

“Any time, Bas.” Kurt said as he wrapped his arms around him again.  He turned to everyone and thanked them for the compliments and coming to the competition.

“Hey, I thought you were mine now!”  Santana called as she walked up to the group.

“Not a chance.”  Sebastian answered before Kurt could say a word.  He leaned down slightly to reach Kurt and staked his claim with a kiss.  Hoots and hollers came from their friends, as well as giggles.

“Quit kissing my star!”  Coach Sylvester said as she walked up.  Kurt pulled away from kissing Sebastian, but didn’t let go or even blush.  Everyone stopped to see what else she was going to say. “Bus leaves in 20 minutes, Porcelain. If you’re not on it, you get left behind.”  She said as she winked and then turned and walked away.

“Well, that was her way of saying we can go with you guys if we want.  Is there enough room?” Kurt asked.

“We’re taking the bus, but we’ll see ya at Sugar’s tonight if you come.”  Santana said as she walked away.

“We can fit one more in my truck.”  Puck said.

“Great!  Sugar, you ride with Puck and Sam, and I’ll ride with Bas.”  He smiled. He knew how to work this situation.

Sugar shot him a look, and then agreed.

As they all headed out to the parking lot, Kurt leaned over to Sam and whispered, “Make Sugar sit in the middle.  If they don’t talk on their own, bring stuff up that will include both of them. Work your magic, Sam.”

“Already on it, Cupid.”  Sam grinned.

 

They decided to head back to Sugar’s house, since she had invited everyone.

“Daddy, we’re home.  Everyone’s here.” Sugar called as they entered the house.  

“In the living room!” Vinny called.

Everyone filed into the living room, and Sugar made all of the introductions.  Vinny had met Puck, Sam, and Kurt, of course.

“So how did the competition go, Kurt?”  Vinny asked.

“Great.  We won.”

“Of course you did.   _You_ were singing and dancing.  Congrats!” Vinny smiled.

“Oh, Vinny.  You charm me.”  Kurt smiled. “Mind if I go use Sugar’s shower?”

“Go ahead.  Mi casa es su casa.”  

Everyone found a seat in the living room and Vinny was asking Sebastian, Nick, and Jeff about Dalton and their families.  He didn’t leave anyone out, and asked Leah about Oldenberg, and Puck and Sam about how the football team was doing this year.  Puck stayed pretty quiet. He liked Sugar. He could admit that to himself. But he wasn’t good with girls parents. He could come off as being pretty rough if they didn’t get a chance to know him.  

“Where’s Momma?”  Sugar asked.

“Visiting Grandma in Cincinnati.  She wasn’t feeling well, so she drove down a couple of hours ago.  She’ll probably stay the night.”

“Mind if the girls, and Angel, have a sleepover tonight?”

“You know I never mind. This house is always open to you and your friends.”

“Good, because I already invited them!”  Sugar giggled. Puck felt a weird feeling in his chest when she giggled.  Warm and fuzzy was surely not something he thought himself capable of feeling.  

“Of course you did.”  He shook his head. “What about you boys?  What are you doing tonight? Any fun exciting things happening around Lima?” He said with a wink.

“There’s never anything fun and exciting happening around Lima, Vinny.  You know that.” Sam said. “But Puck and I are going to a gaming marathon at Artie’s house.  He’s been down in the dumps about breaking up with Tina. Even though it’s been two months. We thought we’d cheer him up.”

“Well that’s nice of you.”  Vinny smiled. He turned his attention to the Dalton boys.  “And you boys?”

“Nick and Jeff are joining Kurt and I for a double date.  Then I’ll bring Kurt back here to join in on sleepover fun.”  Sebastian smiled.

“Well you sure seem better than that last jerk.  Sugar never got to see her Angel.” Vinny said.

“Daddy!  Really, there’s NO comparison between Sebastian and Blanderson.  Other than them going to the same school and being gay, that’s it.  So don’t bring him up again. I don’t want to poison the air with thoughts of him.”  Sugar said. Sebastian was sitting next to her, and he leaned over and gave side hug.  

“Yes, ma’am,”  Vinny said as he rolled his eyes.

 

Once Kurt was showered and dressed, he came downstairs to meet Sebastian.  “Ready?” He asked as he walked in the living room.

“Ready.”  Sebastian said as he stood and made his way to Kurt.  He teased, “You look great, but I kinda miss the eyeliner already.”  

All of the boys said their goodbyes.  Sebastian made sure Leah was good before he left.  Sugar promise to take good care of her, but added, “You know she’s in high school right?  Lighten up.” She smiled at him and shoved him out the door so they could be on their way to the restaurant.  

 

………..

  


The boys were enjoying their time together at Breadsticks.  They missed hanging out together. Conversation flowed, and there was a lot of laughing.  Until Rick the Stick Nelson showed up. He started to pass the table but paused.

“Hey fairy.  Bring your fairy friends with you tonight?  Are they cheerleader fags too?” Rick spat.

Sebastian squeezed Kurt’s hand.  Nick and Jeff looked wide eyed at Kurt. They didn’t encounter much of this kind of behavior and weren’t really used to it.

“Move along, Rick.  No one here is bothering you.”  Kurt answered.

“ _You’re_ bothering me.  I’m not sure I want to eat here anymore if you fags are here.”  Rick said.

“Feel free to leave.”  Kurt said in a cold tone.

“Why should _I_ be the one to leave?”  Rick said.

Sebastian stood.  He was sitting on the end of the booth bench, so when he stood he was right in Rick’s face.  “Kurt told you to leave.”

“Bas…”  Kurt stood quickly and put his hand on Sebastian’s arm.  “Bas, please sit back down.”

“Rick!  What the hell are you doing?”  Mike said as he approached. He stood next to Sebastian.  “You think this is the best idea? These four gentlemen are having a nice dinner, and you walk up and harass them for no reason?”  While Mike was talking, Tina came up and stood next to Kurt. She grabbed his hand.

“Oh, there’s a reason.”  Rick spat.

“No.  There’s not.  And if you don’t leave now, when these four gentlemen are through with you, you’ll have to deal with me, Finn, Puck, and Sam on Monday morning.  Is that what you want?” Mike took another small step forward.

“Forget this.  Screw you all.”  Rick turned and walked out.  

Kurt let go of Tina’s hand and wrapped his arms around Sebastian’s waist from behind.  “Bas?”

Sebastian took a deep breath.  He put his hands over Kurt’s hands that were on his stomach.  “I’m okay, Baby.” He turned to Mike. “Thanks, Mike. I appreciate your support.  I also appreciate you defending Kurt at school every day. Sometimes I forget how hard it must be for him.”

“Hey, man, it’s no problem.  Rick’s an asshole. Are you guys good?”  Mike asked with concern.

“We’re fine, Mike.  Thank you.” Kurt said.  

“Yeah, well, it’s a good thing I wanted dessert after my parents left, or we wouldn't be here.”  Tina chuckled to try to lighten the mood.

Kurt introduced Mike to Nick and Jeff and then he gave Mike and Tina a hug before he returned to his seat.  Seb was soon to follow after shaking Mike’s hand and giving Tina a hug before they left.

“Wow.  Kurt, do you go through stuff like that all the time?”  Nick asked.

“Mmm, not so much anymore.  It used to be an all day every day thing before I went to Dalton.  Now, it’s not bad at school. I have Mike, Puck, and my brothers. Wearing my Cheerios uniform is also a big help.  Coach would kill them if they did anything while I was wearing that. But every once in awhile....”

Sebastian was quiet.  

Jeff said, “Kurtsie, I’m so sorry.  I was scared to death.  I don’t know how you ever deal with that.”

Sebastian was still quiet.

“It’s okay, Jeff.  I manage. I have help now.  And a year from now, I won’t be in such a backward thinking town.”  He looked at the concerned faces of his friends and boyfriend. “Really guys, I’m fine.”

Sebastian stayed quiet.

“Seb, are you okay?”  Nick ask. Kurt put his hand on Sebastian’s back.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”  Sebastian answered.

Kurt started to rub Seb’s back.  “What’s on your mind, Bas? You’re very quiet.”

Sebastian took a deep breath.  “I’m just worried about you.”

“I promise I’m fine.”  Kurt said as he laid his head on Sebastian’s shoulder.  Sebastian turned and kissed the top of his head.

“I think maybe you think it’s fine, you’re fine, because you are used to dealing with so much more.  Just because it’s a lot less now, doesn’t mean that things like what happened tonight aren’t awful.” Jeff added.

“I get the, Jeff.  I really do. But this is small town Ohio.  It’s going to happen, whether I like it or not.  It’s just a fact. It will get better in New York, but it won’t go away there either.  It’s not like I can hide the fact that I’m gay. You guys can.  I can’t.  Don’t get me wrong.  I like who I am, and I wouldn’t change it, but it comes with a cost. There’s a price to pay. You guys also live in a bubble… No offense.  Out in the real world, outside the walls of Dalton and the gates of your neighborhoods, you may encounter this too when people find out you’re gay.”  

Sebastian squeezed Kurt’s hand again, and the four of them sat in silence for a few minutes.

Suddenly Jeff spoke up.  “I thought I was totally obvious.  Am I not?”

Nick smiled sweetly at his boyfriend.  “Only when you open your mouth, Honey. Then there’s no denying it.”  They all laughed.

 

When they arrived back at Sugar’s house, Sebastian walked Kurt to the door.  He held his hand walking up the sidewalk and paused before Kurt stepped inside.

“I’m sorry, Kurt.”  Sebastian said.

“Why, Bas?”

“I’m sorry that happened tonight.  I’m sorry for what you go through all the time.  I’m sorry if I’m not handling it well…”

“Bas, stop. There is nothing for you to be sorry for.  I promise. Please try not to worry.”

Sebastian put his forehead against Kurt’s, “That’s a lot easier said than done.  You know, I admire you a lot. You’re strong and brave. Loyal and kind. I love you so much.”

Kurt smiled, “I love you too, Bas.”

They shared a kiss and Kurt stepped inside to the sleepover.

 

When Sebastian got back in the car, Nick asked, “So are you really okay?”

“I don’t know.  Sometime I just want to marry Kurt, buy a private island, and take him away forever.”  He shook his head. “But I know that’s not what he wants. I can’t fix the world for him, and that’s killing me.  He doesn’t expect me to, but I want to. It hurts that I can’t.”

Jeff smiled, “That’s called love, Sebastian.”


	16. Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleepover discussions and fun. Will Puck finally man up and ask Sugar out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos make me happy!  
> To SheDevilGleek.... I used your "Rick the Dick" comment! I loved it!  
> Halloween Party coming in next chapter. That will bring a couple of confrontations, as well as THE BIG REVEAL of who it is that keeps watching the boys! Stay tuned!

 

Kurt walked into the living room and Vinny was watching TV.  

“How was the double date, Kurt?”  Vinny asked.

Kurt plopped down on the couch next to him and sighed. “It was great until an asshole from McKinley showed up and started harassing us.”

“Why?”  Vinny frowned.

“Because we’re gay.  And Sebastian and my Dalton friends don’t seem to deal with being harassed well.  Jeff and Nick are in a rich boy bubble. Private school, gated communities… They don’t experience that much.  Although they have heard about it, even from me, I don’t think they had been through it until tonight.”

“And Sebastian?”

“Well, I don’t think he’s experienced it much, but he’s been in the ‘real world’ more, living in Paris.  However, Paris is a lot more accepting than small town Ohio. And with all three of them, you wouldn’t just guess they’re gay by looking at them like you would with me, so they tend to be left alone.  And Bas is having a hard time because he wants to protect me and he can’t. I don’t know how to make him feel better about this.”

“That’s quite a predicament.  But at least he’s a good guy. At least he cares enough to _be_ worried.  You seem really happy around him.”  Vinny smiled softly.

“I am.”  Kurt paused.  “Okay, enough drama. I’m going up to join the girls.”  

As Kurt got up and started to walk away, Vinny laughed, “You think joining the girls is going to be drama free?”

Kurt stopped and looked back at Vinny over his shoulder, “Different kind of drama, Vinny.”  He smiled and made his way up the girls.

When Kurt entered the bedroom, Sugar, Leah, Santana, Brittany, Tina, Rachel, Quinn, and Mercedes were all sitting around in their pajamas.  They were laughing about something when Kurt walked in and sat next to Sugar. He leaned on her shoulder without saying a word. She put her hand on his cheek and kissed his forehead.  “Go get changed. Pajamas are a requirement, Angel.”

Kurt didn’t say a word.  He got up, grabbed his bag, and headed to the bathroom.  Leah watched him the whole time as he retreated to the bathroom and returned.  When he came back out in pajama pants and a t-shirt, he resumed his previous position.  Rachel was talking about something or another, but Leah wasn’t paying attention at all. She knew something was bothering Kurt, and that in turn, bothered her.

Once Rachel took a breath, Leah, still looking at Kurt, said, “Okay, Kurt.  Spill.”

Kurt snapped his eyes over to Leah.  “Spill what?”

“I know something is bothering you.  What is it? Talk.” Leah gently demanded.

“Good Gaga, you are so much like Sebastian, it’s crazy.”  Kurt stalled.

“MmmHmm.  Sooo….” Leah wasn’t letting it go.  Kurt had just gotten back from a date with her brother, so if something was wrong, it had to be because of something that happened when they were out.

Kurt sighed.  “Alright,” He said as he rolled his eyes, “We were having a nice time at dinner when Rick the Dick, I mean Stick, Nelson showed up.”

“Oh no.” Several of the girls said at once.  Kurt looked at Tina and gave her a small smile before continuing to tell the girls what had happened.  They all looked concerned, but at the same time, it wasn’t necessarily out of the ordinary for them to hear.  Leah, however, looked extremely bothered.

Once Kurt was finished telling what happened, and again thanking Tina, he looked back to Leah.  “Yeah, that look is very familiar from tonight.”

“What do you mean, Kurt?  What look?” Quinn asked.

He nodded toward Leah, and said, “The horrified look.  Please don’t take offence to this okay?” She nodded and he continued, “My Dalton friends aren’t used to what I go through.  They’re having a hard time understanding it. And tonight, when they were caught up in it, I think reality, outside of the bubble they live in, kinda hit them in the face.”

“You mean they don’t get bullied?  At all?” Mercedes asked.

“Not really, no.  Dalton is a very accepting place.  There quite a few gay students there.  And they all live in very protected communities that don’t have neanderthals running around everywhere.  I know there are plenty of rich assholes who can be just as mean, but they don’t seem to know any that would treat them the way some guys here have treated me.  Plus, I’m pretty ‘obvious’. None of them are, so I can’t exactly avoid it like they could.” Kurt sat and let what he said sink in.

“That Jeff guy is pretty obvious.”  Mercedes said.

“But only if he is talking.  Even then, if he rained it in a bit, he could easily pass as straight.”  Leah added.

“Exactly.” Kurt said.  “And with Bas, he’s just so worried, and so protective.  I don’t want him to worry so much. I don’t want to cause him stress.”

“Is he _too_ protective?”  Santana sounded worried.  Leah quickly looked back at Kurt.  She knew how her brother could be and didn’t want him to overstep.

“No, not at all.  He’s perfect, actually.”  He smiled. “He let me handle a situation last Wednesday, but was right there if I needed him.  Tonight he let me handle it too, until Rick wasn’t backing down. He doesn’t treat me like a damsel in distress, but I think he just worries too much.  I think finding me the way he did when ‘that’ happened, really messed with him. And then feelings of being watched, the guy at Lima Bean that overstepped, then another neanderthal.  I hope it’s not too much.”

“He loves you, Kurt.  I’ve never seen him like this with anyone.  Ever.” Leah said. Kurt smiled at her. “And I think he’s trying really hard to let you handle things, but it’s in his nature to be protective.  He protects what’s his, and what he loves. Like me. And now you, too.”

Kurt smiled at her again, and then patted the ground next to him.  Leah got up and went to sit next to him, and he pulled her into a hug.

“You and Sebastian are totally getting married!”  Rachel said excitedly.

“Dolphin wedding!” Brittany squealed as Santana patted her on the head.

Leah looked at Brittany, and then back to Kurt.  “Gay sharks,” he whispered to her.

“Oh.”  Leah replied.  

Kurt pulled back from the hug and looked Leah in the eye. “I love Sebastian.  And I love you, too. He’s not the only one who is going to be protective of you, so be prepared.”  He winked. “In fact, I hear he and Noah were a bit protective of you two today.” He turned to look at Sugar.

“What are you talking about, Angel?”  Sugar looked confused.

“Well there were some guys at the competition that were checking you two out.  Bas thought they were too old to be looking at you, Leah.” He smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders.  “But Noah didn’t like them looking at you _at all,_ Sugar.”

“Is that why he switched seats with Sam?”  Sugar was surprised.

“Yep.  Bas said all Noah had to do was shake his head ‘no’ at the guys and they quit looking.”

All the girls giggled.  

“Wow.  Maybe there’s hope.”  Sugar said.

  
“He’s just scared because he actually has feelings for you and not just ones that are in his pants. He’s totally in love with you.”  Santana said.

Sugar just sat there in thought.

“Okay!  Manicures and facials!”  Rachel exclaimed.

 

The night was fun with all of the typical sleepover madness.  They watched musicals, snacked, did nails, and gave facials. There was a lot of laughing and Leah fit right in with everyone. Kurt was really happy about that.  

When it came time for sleep, Sugar, Tina, and Rachel took the bed.  The ‘unholy trinity’ and Mercedes took the floor with every extra pillow and blanket.  

Kurt and Leah ended up on Sugar’s couch that she has in her room.  Kurt was propped up on the end, and Leah leaned against him as he put his arm around her. “You know we’re family, right?”  He quietly whispered to her. “All of the kids in Glee Club, we’re family. You are part of this group now. And since I love Sebastian, and I don’t ever plan on that changing, you’re family beyond this group.  You’re my sister now, too.”

Leah wrapped her arms around him and squeezed.  “Perfect. I love you, Kurt.”

“I love you too, Leah.”

 

……………

  


The next morning, Sugar woke up before anyone else.  She looked around at her group of friends and smiled.  Everyone was peacefully sleeping, but what caught her eye was Angel and Leah.  They were snuggled up on the couch and they were adorable. She was only a little jealous.  It was usually her that was snuggled with her Angel. But she knew that no one could replace what she and Angel had, so she smiled and snapped a quick picture before she turned to leave.  She quickly texted it to Sebastian.

Leah woke up half laying in Kurt’s arms.  She looked up at him and smiled. She could see what Seb saw in him.  He was beautiful. He made her feel comfortable and loved. She was so glad Seb found him, and was grateful that he accepted her in his life as well.  

Leah sat up, and Kurt opened his eyes.  He smiled a sleepily at her, “Morning, Beautiful.”

“Mornin’, Sunshine.”  Leah smiled.

Sugar wasn’t in the room, so Kurt assumed she was fixing breakfast.

Kurt and Leah quickly got ready.  Kurt did Leah’s hair in a fancy braid that he twisted up on top of her head, letting the natural curls at the end of the braid pile on top.  He also did her makeup. Not that she needed any. With his expertise, and her natural beauty, they were ready in no time, and looking fabulous.  They headed downstairs to find Sugar baking some muffins, and Vinny making some bacon.

“Mmm, smells good!”  Leah smiled.

“Good morning!  Wow, Leah, the Kurt Hummel Experience has been good to you.  You look fantastic!” Sugar exclaimed.

“Thanks!  He is definitely doing my hair and makeup for school dances.  Screw paying hair salons. I’ll just hold my brother hostage until Kurt agrees.”  She giggled.

“That won’t be an issue.  I love giving makeovers. Even on people like you who don’t really need them.”  Kurt smiled. “Okay, Sugar, what can I do to help?”

“Make omelets?  Thanks, Angel.”

The smell of breakfast woke up the girls who were still sleeping.  Everyone came down in their pajamas to eat. It smelled too good to wait until after they had dressed.  It was obvious that the girls were familiar with Sugar’s muffins and Kurt’s omelets.

“Oh my gosh, Sugar.  These muffins are amazing.”  Leah said.

“Thanks!  I want to open my own bakery after high school.  I even know what I want to call it... The Sugar Shack.  Maybe go to business school so I understand how to run a business, but probably not.  I just want to bake and watch people enjoy what I make.”

“Love the name!  It suits you.  You could totally open a bakery.  This rivals some bakeries I know in France.  Seriously.” Leah said. She really was impressed.

“Wow.  Thanks!”

Kurt smiled. He loved watching his best girls get along so well.

 

Once the other girls had gone home, Sugar took Leah home, and Kurt tagged along so he could see Sebastian again.  Leah texted Sebastian to let him know they were on their way. When they pulled up, Sugar said, “Holy crap! I thought my house was big!”

Leah laughed.  “Well, it’s a family estate.  It’s been in the family forever.”  They got out of the car, “Come on in!”

When they went inside they found Sebastian and his parents in the kitchen, drinking coffee and reading the paper.  Sebastian immediately got up and made his way toward Kurt. As he passed Leah, she sing-songed, “I slept with your boyfriend!”  Everyone laughed.

“It was scandalous!”  Kurt grinned.

Robert lowered his newspaper a little more and said, “Leah Elizabeth, the only time I ever want to hear you say something like that is when you’re referring to Kurt!”  He chuckled.

“It will be the only time I sleep with someone _else’s_ boyfriend.”  Leah said under her breath.

Sebastian hugged Kurt and kissed him on the cheek.  “Enjoy sleeping with my sister?” He smirked.

“Yes.  Yes, I did.”  He winked.

Sebastian walked over and hugged Sugar.  “Sugar, this is my father, Robert Smythe, and my mother, Victoria Smythe.”  They smiled. “Dad, Mom, this is Sugar Motta. She’s Kurt’s best friend.”

Sugar shook their hands, “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Smythe.  You have two great kids.”

“Thank you, Sugar.  Please, call us Robert and Tori.” Smiled Tori.

“Sugar, is your father Vinny Motta?”  Robert asked.

“Yes he is.”  Sugar smiled. “Have you two met?”

“No, but I’ve heard of him when dealing with investments.  I’m wondering if maybe he could me a few tips. I’m thinking of making some investments in real estate and not just stocks and bonds.”  Robert answered.

“I’m sure that would be fine.  I can leave you his number, if you’d like.”  Sugar answered.

“That would be great!  Thanks.” Robert smiled.

 

They all moved into the living room, which was open to the kitchen.  

“Leah, your hair and makeup look fantastic.”  Tori said.

“Thanks, Mom.  Kurt did it. And look at my nails.”  Leah held her hands out for her mom to see.  “He really is multi-talented.” Kurt just grinned and Sebastian squeezed his hand a little tighter.

“Speaking of Kurt being multi-talented.  I hear you fixed up Sugar’s car?” Robert asked.

“Yeah, most of it.  I had a little help.  I didn’t do the paint, or fix the rip in the upholstery. But I did rebuild the engine and I did the body work.” Kurt answered.

“Sugar did you drive here?”  Robert asked.

“Yes, I did!  Would you like to see her?”  Sugar answered, referring to the car.  

“I would love to!”  Robert said.

They all went out to look at her car and Kurt and Sebastian were purposely a little slower than the rest of the group.  They held hands as they walked. Kurt looked at Sebastian and asked, “Are you okay? I mean, after last night… Everything is okay, right?”

Sebastian stopped walking, turned toward Kurt, and frowned.  “Of course, Baby. Everything is fine. What makes you think it wouldn’t be?”  He wrapped his arms around Kurt’s waist.

“I’m just concerned that you worrying is going to be too stressful on you.”  Kurt said.

“It’s not.  I’m fine, I promise.  I do worry about you. But it would never get to the point that I would want to stop loving you because it’s too much.  Is that what you thought?”

“No.  I don’t know.  I didn’t think you would run for the hills, but I just don’t want you to get too frustrated with the drama, either.” Kurt said, looking anywhere but at Sebastian.

“Look at me.”  Sebastian turned Kurt’s chin toward him.  “As far as I’m concerned, I’m not going anywhere.  Ever, if I have my way. Please don’t worry about that.  And I’m not _too_ worried.  I’m just the right amount of worried.”  He smirked. “Come on. Let’s go save Sugar from my car-obsessed dad.”

 

Kurt and Sugar ended up staying for lunch.  The Smythe’s had an outdoor kitchen that was everything Burt Hummel would ever want.  Kurt hoped one day his dad would be able to see it. They made hamburgers and hot dogs and enjoyed each other’s company.

“Oh Kurt, I almost forgot.  Congratulations on winning the competition yesterday!”  Tori said.

“You should have seen him, Mom.  He was so good. Seb, show her the video Nick sent you.” Leah said.  

Kurt just about choked on his drink when Leah suggested they see it.  Sebastian looked at him and grinned.

“How about you wait until I leave if you insist on showing your parents.  There was a reason I didn’t want my own parents to come.” Kurt blushed.

“It _was_ sexy.”  Sebastian said and he smiled at the memory of Kurt incredible routine.

 

Kurt and Sugar said their goodbyes shortly after lunch.  Kurt was exhausted. He hadn’t been home since early the previous day.  Sugar looked over at him as she drove him home. “You okay, Angel?”

“Yeah, Sugar.  I’m just tired.” He turned and smiled at her without lifting his head.  “Hey, thanks for being so sweet to Leah. I’m glad you’re so willing to accept her into our family.”

“Leah’s great!  She really is. She fits right in.  I wish she was home more often.”

Kurt just smiled at her, and then quickly fell asleep in the car.

 

……………

 

Later that evening Kurt was laying on his bed listening to music when he heard a knock on the door. “Come in.”  He shouted over the music and then reached to turn the volume down. To his surprise, Puck came walking in.

“Noah…Are you okay?  You don’t look like you’re okay….”

Puck tried to smirk, “Gee, thanks, Princess.”  He sat on the edge of Kurt’s bed.

“Well, are you?...Okay?  What’s up?” Kurt looked worried.

“I need to talk to you.  I need advice. I just don’t know what to do.”  Puck was rushing, starting to babble, but stopped himself.

“Sugar?”  Kurt gently questioned.  Puck shook his head ‘yes’.

“Noah.  I don’t understand what’s holding you back.  It’s obvious to everyone around you two that you like each other.  Everyone thinks you’d be great together. So why don’t you just go for it?  I know she would say yes if you asked her out on a date. We could even go on a double date if you want.”

Puck to a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts so that he could really explain them to Kurt.

“I know Sugar likes me.  And I know I like her too.  But I like her so much that I am terrified that I will screw it all up and lose her forever.”

“Noah, I know relationships are new to you, but you need to give yourself credit.  You care about her too much to go and cheat on her…”

“I would never cheat on her!”  Puck interrupted.

“I know.  And she likes you for you.  You’re a great guy, Noah. You don’t need to be so worried.  You know, you’re kinda the straight, not-rich version of Sebastian.  He didn’t do relationships either, and look at wonderful he is at being my boyfriend.  Sometimes the right person makes all the difference.”

Puck sighed, “Yeah, I guess.”

 

……………

 

Monday morning found Noah Puckerman leaning up against his truck that was parked in the school lot in the area where Sugar usually parked.  He was so nervous, he thought he might actually throw up. Could he do this? What if it messed up their friendship? But, what if it actually worked?  
Sugar pulled into the spot behind Puck’s truck.  He thought maybe he might pass out. He had to pull himself together.  He had wooed many girls before, why was it so hard with Sugar?

“Good Morning, Puck!”  Sugar said as she got out of the car.

“Mornin’ Sugar.” He said as he slowly walked up to her.  

“Walking me to class?”  She smiled.

“I can.  But I’d like to talk to you first.”

“Sure, Hun, what’s the matter?  You look a little stressed.”

“Nothing’s the matter, Sugar.  I’m just nervous.”

“About?”

“You.  You, Sugar.  You make me nervous as hell.”  Puck shook his head and smirked a bit.

“Why?  We’re friends.  No need to be nervous around me, Hun.”  Sugar put her hand on his arm and he froze.  

“That’s the thing, Sugar.  I don’t want to be ‘friends’. I want more than that with you, Sugar, and _that_ makes me nervous.”  Puck was looking at her with worried eyes.  He had just opened up to her for the first time, and was hoping beyond all hope that he didn’t just ruin everything. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship, but at the same time, being just friends with you might just kill me.”

Sugar patiently smiled at him.  “What are you saying, Puck?”

Puck took a deep breath, “Sugar, will you be my girlfriend?”

Sugar squealed and jumped in Puck’s arms.  “Of course, Hun! It’s about damn time!”

Puck couldn’t smile any bigger if he tried.  He continued to hold onto Sugar. “Thank god.”  He pulled back and looked at her. “I promise to try my best not to screw this up.”

“I have faith in you, Puck.  Probably a lot more than you have in yourself, knowing you.  You’re a great guy. I wish you could see what I see. That’s why I’ve had such a crush on you for so long.”

Puck leaned down and kissed her forehead.  “Let’s get to class.” He grabbed her hand and started walking toward the school.  

 

Kurt arrived at school a few minutes later.  When he walked around the corner toward his locker, he saw Noah and Sugar holding hands as they walked down the hallway.  His eyes lit up and he started bouncing up and down. As the approached him, all three had huge smiles.

“So, I take it you’ve had a good morning?”  Kurt asked with a wink.

“The best!”  Sugar beamed.

“Yep!”  Puck beamed just as brightly.  

“Well, congratulations, you two.  I knew, well hoped, it would happen eventually.  I’m really happy for you both. Beyond happy, actually!”

They all made their way to their own classes.  As soon as Kurt sat down, he pulled out his phone and texted Sebastian, Leah, Nick, and Jeff in a group text.

 

**From Kurt:**

Guess who finally got some balls and asked Sugar out!!!!!

**From Sebastian:**

It’s about time!  I’m so happy for them!

**From Leah:**

Yay!!!  I bet she is sooo happy!

**From Jeff:**

Finally!  Happy for Sweets and Puck.  They are so meant for each other.

**From Nick:**

I see a triple date in the near future!


	17. The Stalker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We discover who the stalker is...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've posted 2 chapters within a day or two of each other, so if you haven't read Ch. 16, you might want to do that. Although, technically, you could skip it and not be lost. I mentioned before that this chapter would be about the stalker and the Halloween party, but I take it back... Halloween party will have to be in the next chapter.  
> Kudos and Comments make my day! Let me know if you're surprised or not, and how you feel about it!

 

Sebastian ended up meeting Kurt at Lima Bean on Wednesday after cheer practice.  They never could make the entire school week without seeing each other. They chose to sit in the couch by the fireplace again.  It was quickly becoming ‘their spot’.

“So Puck and Sugar, huh?”  Sebastian smiled. “How is that going?”

“Oh my gosh, they are _so_ cute!  They’re holding hands and flirting. Noah walks her to class, and sits with her at lunch and Glee.  Adorable. I’m so glad he finally sucked it up and went for it.”

“Me too.  I think he was miserable without her.  It was hurting him.” Sebastian said.

“I agree.  We’ll have to go on a double date or something.”  Kurt smiled as he sipped his coffee.

“Oh, speaking of going out...Nick is having his annual Halloween party this weekend.  He kind of waited until the last minute this year because his parents weren’t going to take their annual anniversary trip, but changed their mind last minute.”

“Um, sure. Do his parents not know he throws this party?”  Kurt asked.

“Apparently not.  His older brother, Steven, will be there too.  He usually has a few people over as well, from what I hear.”

“Is it a costume party?”  Kurt asked. He loves dressing up, but it was awfully last minute to come up with a costume.

“I’m not sure, actually.  I’ll have to ask him.” Sebastian said.  “He’s inviting Puck and Sugar too. He said he’d call or text Sugar later.  He said you can ask your brothers if want too.”

“Sounds like fun!  I’d love to go.” Kurt smiled.

 

Sebastian couldn’t go back to Kurt’s house for dinner. He had a big paper due Friday, and he had been procrastinating doing it for far too long.  They said their goodbyes in the parking lot of Lima Bean. Kurt leaned up against his car and wrapped his arms around Sebastian’s neck as they shared a kiss goodbye.  

“Mmm, I’m going to miss you, Babe.”  Sebastian said as he pulled away.

“Me too, Bas.  I hate saying goodbye to you.”  Kurt laid his head on Sebastian shoulder.

“I know, me too.  But I’ll see you in two days.  I’ll come to the game Friday, and maybe we can go out for dessert after?”

“Sounds perfect.  I love you.” Kurt said as her gave Sebastian a quick kiss on the lips.

“I love you too.”  Sebastian smiled.

 

When Kurt pulled into his driveway, it was already dark.  He loved Autumn and Winter, but he hated that it got dark so early.  He noticed Noah’s truck in the driveway, and wasn’t the least bit surprised.  It was his second home. He paused for a minute as he sat in the driver’s seat.  He hoped one day soon that he would be seeing a little less of Noah. Not that he didn’t want to see him, but he was hopeful that he would be spending these times with Sugar.  He was so happy for them.

He stepped out of the Navigator and made his way up the driveway toward the front the door.  As soon as he got to the walkway, he froze. He felt it again. Someone was watching. He could feel their eyes on him.  But this time, he thought maybe he saw someone. It was only for a split second, but he was pretty sure he saw someone, or something, move behind the large Oak tree in his neighbor’s yard.  He was only frozen for a few seconds. He bolted toward the door, slamming it behind him when he got inside. His breathing was labored as he locked it behind him and ran into the living room.

Finn, Sam, and Puck were all playing video games when he entered the living room.  They immediately stopped. A sense of deja vu ran through them. “What’s wrong?!” Sam said as he stood and made his way toward Kurt.  Finn and Puck stood as well, ready to act.

“Someone….” Kurt tried to catch his breath, “..watching….”  He pointed toward the neighbor’s yard.

Finn took off out the front door, faster than any of the boys had ever seen him run.  Puck decided quickly to take the back door, hoping to cut them off it they decided to slip into the back yards.  Sam stayed to make sure Kurt got his breathing under control.

“Breathe, Kurt.  Take a deep breath.”  Sam said calmly as he put his arm around him walked Kurt over to the couch.  “It’s okay. You’re safe inside. It’s okay.”

Once he started catching his breath, Kurt asked, “Is Dad home?”

“No, not yet.  Neither is Carol.”  

That did not calm Kurt, and he was starting to have a panic attack.  Sam quickly called Sebastian.

“Hey, Sam.” Sebastian answered.    
“Seb, someone was outside watching Kurt when he got home…”  Sam heard tires squealing, “Finn and Puck are outside looking now. Thing is, Kurt is having a panic attack.  I need you to talk him down. It’s not working when I tried. I’m putting him on now.”

Sam didn’t wait for a response.  He held the phone out and put it on speaker.  Kurt couldn’t say anything, but Sebastian could hear his labored breathing.  

“It’s okay, Baby.  I’m on my way. I hadn’t gone far, it won’t take long.  I need you to breathe. Take a deep breath for me.” He could hear Kurt trying to inhale a bit slower.  “That’s it. I need you to count to 10 in your head. Focus on the numbers. Sam is there with you. Nothing bad will happen.”

Sam was rubbing Kurt’s back as Sebastian continued, “Keep trying to take deep, slow breaths, Baby. Focus on your breathing…”

 

As soon as Finn was out the door, he saw him.  He was running through the yards, around trees, trying to find a good place to escape.  He was a good two front yards ahead of him.

“Puck!”  Finn yelled as he ran.

Puck heard him yell, and ran in between some houses so he could join the chase in front of the houses.  

“He’s up there!  He’s real!” Finn said.  The thought that there really was someone spying on his brother seemed to fuel him.  He thought maybe Kurt and Sebastian were just being paranoid after all they had been through.  He was pissed that someone was making Kurt feel so uncomfortable, so unsafe. Especially after all he had already been through with Blaine.  

“I see him!”  Puck yelled. He couldn’t believe how fast Finn was running.  No matter how hard he tried, Puck couldn’t catch up to Finn, much less this mystery stalker.

Finn was closing the gap pretty quickly.  Seems the asshole was losing steam. There was only one front yard between them, and then half a yard, and then he was almost within reach.  Finn gave one final push and then threw himself into the air, tackling the guy to the ground.

The large guy was face down, so Finn quickly rolled him over and punched him in the jaw before he could think, or even register who it was he was hitting.  He pulled his arm back for another swing as Puck finally caught up.

“Finn!”  Puck panted as he reached the pair.

That seemed to snap Finn out of it enough for him to register exactly what was happening, and _who_ he was about to hit again…

“Karofsky?!”  Finn shouted. “What the fuck?!”  After everything Dave had put Kurt through before, finding out that he was the asshole who was stalking Kurt, after everything he had been through with Blaine… That set Finn off even more.  He pulled his fist back again, and before Puck could stop him, punched Dave a second time.

“How dare you!  You fucking asshole!”  Finn was grabbing him by the shirt lifting him slightly, and then slamming him back down into the ground, over and over again.  “After everything you’ve already done to him. Wasn’t that enough?”

“Finn! Stop!” Puck yelled.  “As much as I’d like to watch you pound him into the ground, you need to stop.”  Puck reached down and grabbed one of Dave’s arms and pulled him up from underneath Finn.  Dave wasn’t saying a word. Finn stood and grabbed Dave’s other arm.

“Let’s go.”  Puck said, “You have a lot of explaining to do, Karofsky.”  He paused for a minute and turned to Dave. “We’re going back to the house.  You’re going to explain yourself to Kurt, and to all of us. If you so much as look at Kurt the wrong way, what Finn just did will be a walk in the park.  And if they’ve already called Sebastian, I can’t promise anything. I will _not_ hold _him_ back.”

 

The chase had taken them at two and half blocks from the house.  By the time the three of them were a couple of houses away, they heard the tires squeal, and then saw Sebastian pull up in his corvette.

“Here we go.”  Puck said with only a slight tone of delight.  Dave looked a little worried. He may be bigger than Sebastian, but he remembered seeing Blaine knocked out on the ground.  If that was the fury that Sebastian could unleash on someone who messed with his crush, he could only imagine what he would do to someone who messed with the guy he now loved and called his own. The only thing working in his favor right now was the fact that Sebastian’s hand was still in a cast.

Sebastian got out of his car and it only took a couple of seconds to see Puck and Finn walking someone toward the house.  He scowled and marched through the yard toward them. When he saw who it was, he briefly thought maybe Dave had helped give chase, since he supposedly become a ‘good guy’.  But then he saw the state of the bruised jaw and blackening eye.  
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!  You fucking asshole!” Sebastian yelled.

Kurt heard Sebastian’s voice from inside.  He quickly got up and ran outside before Sam could stop him.  

“Kurt, wait!”  Sam yelled as Kurt was opening the door.  

“What the fuck is your problem?!”  Sebastian said as he made his way toward Dave.

Once the door was open and Kurt stepped outside, the first thing he saw was Sebastian and the anger on his face.  The pure determination. He followed Sebastian line of sight, and saw Finn and Puck holding on to a bruised Dave Karofsky.

“Karofsky?”  Kurt said. Flashes of locker checks, dumpster throws, intimidation, ‘the kiss’, and most of all, the death threat, all came rushing back to him.  Suddenly the world started to spin. Luckily, Sam had reached his side, because before anyone could do anything, Kurt fainted. Sam reached out and barely caught him on his way down.  

Sebastian had turned when he heard Kurt say Dave’s name.  He saw him go down, and ran to be by his side.

“You’re screwed now.”  Finn growled to Dave.

Sam was holding Kurt up from under his arms.  Sebastian scooped him up bridal style and took him into the house.  “I’ve got you, Baby. Wake up for me.” Seb said as he was carrying him.  He gently laid him down on the couch and knelt by his side, running his fingers lovingly through Kurt’s hair. “Kurt, Baby, wake up.”  

Sam was standing by the couch watching when Finn and Puck walked in with Karofsky.  Dave glanced over at Kurt and his heart ached. He felt so bad for causing all of this.  The boys stopped and watched. They kept Dave on the other side of the room.

“Come on, Babe, I need you to wake up.”  Seb continued to stroke Kurt’s face and hair.  

Dave felt a tinge of jealousy.  He wished he could be the one comforting Fancy.  He wanted to be that close to him, touching his face lovingly.

Kurt started to stir.  “Bas,” he said before he even opened his eyes.

“That’s it, Baby.  Open your eyes.” Sebastian said as he kissed Kurt on the forehead.

Kurt’s eyes fluttered open. “Bas,”  Kurt said as he opened he looked at Sebastian, “what happened?”

“You fainted, Baby.  Are you feeling okay?”  Sebastian asked as he continued to stroke Kurt’s face.  

“Mmm.  I guess,”  Kurt said quietly.  He looked up at Sam, then over to where Finn and Puck had Dave.  Kurt’s eyes widened and he started to breathe heavy. He began scrambling backwards, pushing himself up and further away from Dave.  

“It’s okay, Kurt.  I’ve got you.” Sebastian said, as he quickly got up and sat next to Kurt, wrapping his arms around him.  “We will _not_ let him hurt you.”  He glared at Dave, “Ever. Again.”

Kurt was curled up with his knees to his chest in the corner of the couch.  Sebastian continued to hold him. For the third time since meeting Sebastian, Kurt whispered, “Don’t let go, Bas.”

“Never, Baby.  I’m not going anywhere.  I’ve got you,” Seb said as he kissed Kurt’s forehead once again.

Finn and Puck dragged Dave over to a chair and shoved him into it.  They stood on either side of him and each kept a hand on one of his shoulders.  All those mob movies that they had watched seemed to be paying off.

Just as the boys were starting to question Dave, Burt and Carol came walking in.  

“Hi boys!”  Carol said as she walked in.  

Burt opened his mouth to say hello, but he immediately saw the state Kurt was in, and the dangerous look on Sebastian’s face.  Following Seb’s line of sight, he turned and saw Finn and Puck with their hands on Dave Karofsky. “Karofsky?” He looked at the other boys.  “What’s going on?” His voice was dangerously low.

“Kurt came home and felt like someone was watching him again.”  Finn said, “Only this time Kurt was sure he saw someone. Turns out, he was right.  Puck and I chased him a couple of blocks before I caught him. Sam stayed with Kurt.”

Burt could feel his face heating up.  Was Dave the one watching the boys? How could he do this?

“Burt, Honey, sit down.” Carol said. When he sat, Carol put her hand on his shoulder. She was worried about his heart.  She looked over to Kurt, “Kurt, Sweetie, are you okay?”

Kurt just shook his head ‘yes’.

Sebastian spoke up.  “He fainted when he saw it was Dave.”

Burt’s eyes widened for a second, and then he narrowed his glare at Dave.  “Spill it, asshole. What are you doing stalking Kurt and Sebastian?”

Dave didn’t say anything at first… Until Puck squeezed his shoulder tightly, digging his thumb into Dave’s muscle.  He looked at Sebastian and winked when he did it.

“Ah!  Okay!”  Dave said.  “I didn’t mean to scare you, Fancy.  I was watching out for you.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”  Sebastian asked.

Dave continued to speak directly to Kurt, instead of addressing anyone else.  Kurt listened, but refused to look at Dave. “After seeing you like we did at Scandals, I was really upset.  I wanted to protect you. And then Sebastian was _always_ there.   _He_ took you to the hospital.   _He_ was at school when you went back.   _He_ was taking you for coffee and out on dates.   _He_ was at the football games, and cheer competition.   _He_ was _always_ there.  He even spends the night!  He came out of nowhere. I wanted to make sure he was treating you right. I couldn’t have another Dalton asshole messing with you.  I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Sebastian turned his attention back to Kurt, who was still in his arms. “Are you okay, Baby?  You’re shaking.”

“Make him leave.”  Kurt said quietly to Sebastian. Kurt couldn’t believe Dave knew all of those things.  He must have seen a lot more than they thought. He felt violated...again.

“Sebastian, take Kurt to his room.  Stay there until I come and get you.”  Burt said.

Sebastian and Kurt got up, and without letting go of him, Seb lead them to Kurt’s room. Seb really wanted to stay and talk to Dave, but Kurt was his first priority, so they left anyway.

Dave was shifting in his chair, as if he wanted to get up and go after Kurt, or at least reach out to him. Finn squeezed his shoulder.  “Don’t even think about it, asshole.”

Burt glared at Dave.  Without taking his eyes off of him, Burt said, “Carol, go call Officer Weston.  Have him send someone out right now. You might want to call the Smythe's as well.”

“My pleasure.”  Carol answered and then left the room.

Burt cleared his throat.  “Here’s what’s going to happen, Dave.  Officer Weston, or one of his fine associates, will come and we will see what legal action can be taken.  If nothing can be done right now, they will escort you home. Kurt and Sebastian will both have a restraining order taken out against you.  And if you ever so much as look at Kurt the wrong way, I will get Elizabeth and make you pay.”

Finn leaned down and whispered, “Elizabeth is his shotgun.  She’s so special, he named her after Kurt’s mom. But you may already be dead by the time Burt finds you, if I have anything to say about it.”  

Burt continued, “You say all of these things about Sebastian, but you do realize he _is_ Kurt’s boyfriend, right?”  Dave nodded. “Sebastian has been nothing but kind, patient, loving, and respectful to Kurt.  There is no reason for me to worry about the two of them together. Seb has proven over and over again that he will take care of my son.  But _your_ actions have done nothing but hurt him.  You caused him to transfer schools with your bullying and threats.  And when he was a big enough of a man to forgive you, you go and betray his trust again.  He had a night terror and panic attacks because of you. You were obviously watching more than we thought since you knew so much...”

Dave didn’t know about the panic attacks (other than the one tonight) or the night terror.  He felt bad about it, but he still didn’t feel bad for making sure his Fancy was okay.

Before Burt could continue, the doorbell rang.  Sam went to answer. When he returned, he had Officer Weston and Officer Miller with him.  Carol soon joined them as well.

Burt stood and shook their hands.  “Officers, thank you for coming so quickly.”

“Absolutely, Mr. Hummel.  Your wife said that the boys caught the person who has been watching your son and his boyfriend?”  Officer Weston asked.

“Yes.  Carol and I weren’t home yet, but from what the boys tell me, when Kurt came home from a coffee date with Sebastian, he felt like someone was watching him again.  But this time he saw him. Finn and Puck chased him and caught him while Sam stayed with Kurt. Kurt had a panic attack, so Sam called Sebastian. When Kurt saw it was Dave here, he fainted. The two of them are in Kurt’s room now, because just being in the same room as Dave was making Kurt shake.”

Officer Miller raised an eyebrow, so Carol jumped into the conversation. “This is Dave Karofsky.  He bullied Kurt so badly his sophomore year and beginning of junior year, including threatening to kill Kurt, that we had to transfer Kurt to Dalton Academy for the remainder of the year last year.” The look on the officers faces was one of shock and disgust combined. Carol continued, “Dave apologizes to Kurt and Kurt forgave him. Dave was there the night his ex tried to rape him, and was the one who called 911.”

Puck joined in, “From what he just told us, he’s jealous of Sebastian.  He says he was just making sure Kurt was alright, but he’s really just jealous.”

Burt sighed, “I’m done having my son not be able to live his life without fear.  Soon, he’s going to have to face Blaine in court, and while waiting for that, he has to deal with this shit.  We want a restraining order. I’m sure the Smythe’s will want one too.”

Officer Weston said, “I understand completely, Mr. Hummel.  We’ll take him down to the station, but we do need to speak to Kurt and Sebastian.” He paused, and then asked, “Sebastian is a Smythe? As in Robert Smythe’s son?” Burt smirked, knowing what the officer was thinking, and nodded his head.  Officer Weston and Officer Miller both gave a dry humorless laugh. “Well kid,” looking at Karofsky, “of all the people you decide to mess with, you chose the sons of a congressman and state’s attorney.  Smart.”

“I will speak to the boys, meanwhile, you load him into the cruiser and call his parents.”  Officer Miller said to Officer Weston.

 

When Robert and Victoria pulled up to the Hummel-Hudson home, there was a police officer loading someone into the back of a cruiser.  

“Shit.”  Robert said.

“That’s him?  The one who was messing with the boys?” Tori asked.  

“Seems so.  I’m glad they got him.”  Robert said as he exited the car.  

“Me too.  Let’s go see the boys.”  

When they walked past the cruiser, Officer Weston, turned and greeted them.  “Mr. and Mrs. Smythe?” He stuck out his hand.

Robert shook his hand as he said, “Yes, Officer.  Is it okay if we go on in?”

“Of course.”  Officer Weston answered.

Robert and Tori didn’t even need to knock before Sam opened the door.  He had met Robert at the hospital, so he addressed Tori. “Hi, I’m Sam. I’m Kurt’s honorary brother.”  He shook their hands. “Come on in. Carol went to get Kurt and Sebastian.” As they walked in Tori gave a questioning look to Sam’s comment, so Sam quietly added, “Kurt was having a hard time being in the same room as Karofsky.”  He nodded toward the police cruiser.

“Poor guy.”  Tori said as she continued to walk into the living room.  

Once they were in the living room, Burt stood and greeted Robert with a handshake.  Carol returned, and Robert introduced Burt and Carol to Tori, and Burt introduced them to Officer Miller, Finn, and Puck.  

Burt gave them a quick summary of the night’s events, and soon Kurt and Sebastian appeared from Kurt’s room.  Kurt tried to give everyone a small smile before he headed straight for the couch, and Sebastian stopped to greet his parents before sitting next to Kurt and grabbing his hand.

Officer Miller gave Kurt and encouraging smile.  “Kurt, I need to ask you some questions about your relationship with Dave Karofsky, as well as the events from this evening. Would you like to do this in private?”

Kurt quickly shook his head.  “No! No. I want to do it here. Everyone knows everything anyway.  I need them here.”

“That’s fine, Kurt.  Why don’t you start by telling me how you know Dave Karofsky, and what your relationship with him is like.”

Kurt cleared his throat and Sebastian put his arm around him, rubbing his back for comfort. “Well, David went to my high school, McKinley, and was on the football team my freshman and sophomore year.  We didn’t know each other at all freshman year, other than having English class together. Then something changed our sophomore year. He started bullying me.”

Officer Miller was taking notes.  “What kinds of things was he doing that you consider it bullying?”

“He would shove me against lockers, threw slushies in my face, threw me in dumpsters.  I had bruises all over…He even threw pee-filled balloons at me once.”

Tori squeezed Robert’s hand.  She hated to hear about these things.  She already knew them because of what Sebastian had told them, but hearing them from Kurt made her even more upset.  

“Was he the only one who did these things?”  Officer Miller asked.

“No.  There were several other jocks who did the same thing.  But David did it the most. He was ruthless. My junior year became really bad.  Things...intensified.”

“How so?”

“He would start to throw me into lockers, not just shove.  The bruising was much worse because of that. Things happened more often than not.  One day, I confronted him. Stupidly, I did it in the locker room when we were alone.  He... forced a kiss on me.”  Kurt cleared his throat again took a deep breath, “Apparently he’s also gay.  He was afraid I would tell people… out him… and that made him come after me even more. He eventually threatened to kill me if I told anyone.”

“Did you tell anyone? About him being gay?”  

“No, ma’am.  It’s not my place.  It wasn’t my secret to share.  He was kicked out of school, but soon, the school board overturned the principal's decision.   That’s when I transferred to Dalton.”

“Okay.  Why did you decide to return to McKinley?”  Officer Miller asked.

“We heard David transferred to Carmel.  Dalton is too expensive to continue paying for if I didn't have a good reason for being there.  I need that money for college. And, all of my friends were at McKinley. My brothers and friends form from Glee are really protective of me now.  They didn’t know what was happening before until it was too late. I didn’t really tell anyone. And, I only had a couple of friends at Dalton. My ex made sure to not let me have much of a social life.”

“Your step-mother said you forgave Mr. Karofsky?”

“Yes, ma’am.  One day he approached me at Lima Bean. I was terrified.”  He looked over to Sebastian and gave him a small smile. “That’s actually how I met Sebastian.  I asked if I could sit with him when I discovered I couldn’t avoid David.” Officer Miller smiled.  “David gave me a sob story about how he was confused about his sexuality. How he thought me being in school was making him confused, but when I went to Dalton, it didn’t clear up his confusion like he thought it would.  He apologized. I felt bad for him. I know it can be hard to keep such a big part of you a secret. I even gave him my number in case he needed to talk about it.”

“Was that the last time you saw him?”

“No, ma’am.”  Kurt took a deep breath and Sebastian tightened his hold on Kurt. “He was at Scandals that night that Blaine… David was at Scandals the night we were.  We talked. He was friendly enough. Sebastian never let me be alone with him, just in case. He even danced with us some. My ex-boyfriend, who was my boyfriend at the time, was the only one of us to drink.  I was going to drive him home and walked out to the parking lot with him after saying goodbye to everyone. He tried to rape me. He beat me up pretty bad when I tried to fight him off. Sebastian came outside for some fresh air and found him on top of me.”  Kurt’s voice started to crack. “That’s how Bas broke his hand.” Kurt turned toward Sebastian and tried to smile. He had tears in his eyes. Sebastian stroked his cheek lovingly.

“You can do it, Babe.”  Sebastian whispered. “You’re doing a great job.”

Kurt took another deep breath before continuing.  “Bas knocked Blaine out. He called our friends to come outside to help and told them to call 911. Dave saw our friends leaving, upset, and followed them out. He’s the one who called 911. I saw him again a couple of weeks later at Lima Bean again.  He was friendly enough. He actually sounded happy that Bas and I had decided to date.”

“Thank you, Kurt.  I know that was hard to have to tell me. One more question.  How many times did you feel like you were being watched?”

“Three times including tonight.”

Sebastian added, “I was there for one, and then there was another time for me when I was at the football game.  So for both of us together, it was four times. Just so we’re clear, everything he said tonight indicated he was watching a lot more that those four times.  He knew every place we had been together.”

“Okay.” Officer Miller said, “I think we have plenty.”  She turned to both sets of parents. “I’m assuming you still want the restraining order?”

“Absolutely.”  Burt said.

“Well, Sebastian is 18, so it’s up to him, but I’m assuming his answer is 'yes',”  Robert said.

“Without a doubt,”  Sebastian said.

“Alright, we’ll take Karofsky down to the station.  I’ll file the report and get started on those restraining orders.”  She paused, “Boys, I’m really sorry you have been through so much. I hope all of this ends soon, so you can move on with your lives.  I’ve met you two twice now, and I have to say, you both impress me very much. Not only your composure, but also your love toward each other. It’s nice to see.”

“Thank you, Officer Miller.  And thank you for all of your help.  Honestly, things could be a lot different for us right now if you had been half as homophobic as the rest of this town.”  Sebastian said.

“Well, Sebastian, my girlfriend and I would agree with you on that one.”  She winked at him.

Sebastian and Kurt both smiled a genuine smile for the first time since parting at Lima Bean earlier that night.  The rest of the room matched their expression.

“I also have to say,”  She said, looking at the rest of the people in the room, “You two have a great support system.  You’re both very lucky.”

“That we are.”  Kurt said.

Both sets of parents walked Officer Miller to the door.  Before exiting, she had one last thing to say. “Off the record, I’m going to ignore the black eye and bruised jaw that I saw on Dave.  However, I can’t promise his parents will.  Just a word of warning.”

“I understand.  Thank you, again, Officer Miller.  We appreciate your help.” Burt said.

“I’m glad to be of service.  Have a nice evening,” She said as she made her way to the cruiser.  

Burt turned to the Smythe’s, “Anyone up for pizza?  I’m sure no one is up for cooking, and I’m sure the boys are all starving.”

“Sounds great.”  Tori answered.

 

The rest of the evening was spent with pizza and friends.  Everyone was trying their best to take Kurt’s mind off the evening’s events.  Kurt and Sebastian were sitting together, cuddling, on the couch. Tori got up and went into the kitchen with a few empty glasses.  Carol was there already, putting things away.

“Can I help you with anything, Carol?”  Tori asked.

“Oh, no thank you.  Pizza nights are always so easy to clean up.”  She smiled.

Tori sat down at a stool by the island.  “Carol, thank you for accepting Sebastian into your family so easily.”

“Well, thank you for doing the same for Kurt.”  She turned and leaned on the other side of the island. “He loves Sebastian. _We_ love Sebastian.  He’s been so good for Kurt.”

Tori smiled, “That goes both ways.  Sebastian is finally himself, thanks to Kurt.  He was a bit lost when we lived in Paris. He loves Kurt so much, and so do we.  I have a feeling you and I are going to be in each other’s lives for a long, long time.”

“My guess is, the rest of our lives.”  Carol winked. Both moms were smiling a huge, knowing smile.


	18. Halloween party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys and their friends attend Nick's Halloween party, only to find Cooper there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Comments make my heart happy!  
> This one is a bit of a sexy-time cliff hanger. Sorry.

  
  
Sebastian was exhausted by the time he got back to Dalton.  When he got back to his dorm room, Nick was nowhere in sight.  Sebastian took a minute to sit and think about all of tonight's events.  He took a deep breath, and then texted Nick.

 

**From Sebastian:**

Hey,  I need to talk with you.  Coming back soon? Bring Jeff.

 **From Nick** :

Yeah, we were just hanging out with Trent.  Be right there.

 

A few minutes later, Nick and Jeff had made their way back.  Sebastian was already changed for bed and was leaning back against his headboard.

“Hi, Seb. Everything okay?”  Nick said as he and Jeff walked into the room.

“Yes and no.”  Sebastian said, sitting up and turning toward Nick’s bed where Nick and Jeff had were taking a seat.

“What happened?  You didn’t break up with Kurt, did you?”  Jeff looked worried.

“No, Jeff.  I’m not crazy.  I don’t plan on ever breaking up with Kurt. If things go bad, he will have to be the one to do it. I’m in this for the long haul.”  Sebastian smirked.

“Good.  I was scared.  I like you, Seb.  I didn’t want to have to hurt you.”  Jeff smiled.

Sebastian smiled.  “Okay, Jeff. Whatever you say.”

“Okay, so if it’s not Kurt, what is it?”  Nick asked.

“Well, it does have to do with Kurt.  Remember when Kurt and I were feeling like we were being watched? Like at the football game you guys came to?”  Both Nick and Jeff nodded their heads and both looked equally worried. “It happened to Kurt again tonight when he got home from our coffee date.  But this time, he saw someone.” Jeff gasped. “He went inside right away. Finn and Puck chased the guy, and Sam stayed with Kurt who was having a panic attack at that point.”  Jeff covered his mouth with his hand, and Nick put his arm around his boyfriend. “Sam called me. I was on my way back here, so I turned around. I tried to calm Kurt down over the phone.  By the time I got there, Finn and Puck had caught the guy.” Seb cleared his throat, and both Nick and Jeff were hanging on every word. “It turns out, it was Dave Karofsky.”

“What the hell!”  Nick yelled.

“No. Way.”  Jeff said. “I thought he was a good guy now!  He apologized! He seemed okay!” Jeff was standing, pacing back and forth.  “He was _there_ the night Blaine tried to rape Kurt.  He saw him just like we did! He knows he’s been through hell!  How could he do this!?”

Nick walked over and put his arm around Jeff and walked him back to the bed where they had been sitting.  “Jeffie, calm down. Let Seb tell us what happened.”

Jeff inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. “Okay.  Okay, I’m good. Sorry. It just upsets me so much.  Kurt has been through so much, and Karofsky was a big part of that already.  Now he had to go and add to it again?”

“Yeah, well, the way Dave tells it, he was just making sure Kurt was safe with me.”  Nick and Jeff both made a face like Seb was crazy. They knew there was no one who Kurt could be safer with than Sebastian.  Sebastian would do anything for Kurt, and anyone who saw them together, or separate for that matter, could see that. “He was apparently watching a lot more than we thought.  He knew everywhere we had been together.” Sebastian paused and then added, “Dave seemed to be upset with me. He was upset that _I_ get to date Kurt.. _.I_ was there to comfort him, and be with him.  I don’t know if he’s more upset with me, or if he’s upset with Kurt for choosing me and not him.”  

“That’s messed up.”  Nick said.

“I know.  So, when Kurt’s parents got home soon after,  Burt had Carol call the police and my parents.  Kurt had to retell the police everything - from the bullying, to the night at Scandals, to the feeling of being watched.  It was really hard on him.” Sebastian sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “We are both getting a restraining order against him.”

“Good.  How was Kurt after?”  Nick asked.

“He was pretty exhausted.  It’s all really worn him out.  He was shaking like a leaf when Dave was talking.  And before that, when he first saw that is was Karofsky, he actually fainted.”  Seb had his head in his hands in frustration.

“Oh my god.  Poor Kurtsie.  He’s been through so much.”  Jeff said.

“And he still has more to go through with the trial coming up.”  Nick said.

“Yeah.”  Seb sighed. “I know this goes without saying at this point, but if Karofsky contacts you, do not reply or answer his calls.  Also, make sure you tell me about it. I’d rather you not say anything to Kurt about it though.”

“Of course, Seb.  Whatever you need us to do, just let us know.”    Nick said.

“How about for now, we just make sure Kurt has fun at your party on Saturday.”  Seb said.

“Done!”  Jeff said.  

 

……………….

 

The next day at school, Kurt was walking to his locker when he got a text from Sebastian.

**From Sebastian:**

Have a good day, Baby.  I love you.

**From Kurt:**

You first.  I love you too.  Thanks again for last night.  You really are amazing.

**From Sebastian:**

It’s easy to do, when it’s you I’m doing it for.

 

Kurt was immediately greeted by Sugar.  

“Angel, are you okay?  Puck told me.” She asked as she gave a Kurt a big hug.  

“Yeah, I’m okay.  I’m kinda glad we know who it is now.  Although, I never would have guessed it was him.”  He stopped and looked at Sugar and winked as he said,  “You’re boyfriend was awesome.”

Sugar just beamed.  “I’m glad he was there for you, Angel.”

“He always is.”  Kurt smiled.

 

Lunch time came and Finn and Puck sat on either side of Kurt.  He smiled sheepishly and said, “I know what you’re doing, and you don’t need to.”

“What?  We aren’t doing anything.”  Finn said with a smirk.

“He’s not here.  I’m fine, guys. I promise.  You were amazing last night, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart… But I’m fine.”  Kurt said.

Puck leaned over and quietly said, “Look, Princess… I know he’s not here, but some of his best friends are.  I doubt they do, or ever will, know anything about it, since that might out him. But just in case, let us feel better by sticking by your side a bit longer.”

Kurt sighed and put down his water bottle.  “Alright.” He paused and then remembered the party.  “Hey! Did Nick text you guys about his party?”

“Yeah, man.  Sounds like fun.  Can I bring Rachel?” Finn asked.

“I’m sure it’s fine.”

Puck smiled.  “You know Sugar and I will be there.  She would never miss out on something like that.  Plus any opportunity for her to see Jeff, she’s there.”  

They were all laughing at that when Sugar walked up. “What’s so funny?”

“Oh, just the fact that you wouldn’t miss Nick’s party since Jeffie will be there.”  Kurt smiled.

“Oh course I wouldn’t miss it!  Jeffie is like my long lost… brother?  Friend? Cousin? I don’t know… I just like him.”

“He’s hard not to like.”  Kurt giggled. “Oh, Bas said it’s a costume party.  What are you guys going to go as? It’s kind of last minute, and I won’t have time to make anything good.”

“How about a punk rocker?”  Puck said. “That would be easy for me!”

Kurt’s face lit up.  “We could all dress as punk rockers like we’re in a band!  It would give me a chance to wear eyeliner again. Bas liked that.”  He wiggled his eyebrows.

“Then it’s settled!”  Sugar said. “Big hair, here I come!”

 

After school, Sebastian texted Kurt again before Warbler rehearsal.

**From Sebastian:**

How did school go? Anyone say anything?

**From Kurt:**

It was fine.  No one said anything.  Did you put Noah and Finn up to being my secret service today?

**From Sebastian:**

Nope, wasn’t me.  But I’m glad they were there for you today.  Makes me feel better.

 **From Kurt** :

They were very protective, but I didn’t mind.  Go get your paper done. It’s going to take you all night.  I’ll see you tomorrow night at the game. Love you.

**From Sebastian:**

Love you too, Babe.

 

…………

 

On Friday night, Sebastian headed to Sugar’s house so she could go to the game with him.  When he rang the bell, Vinny answered with a big smile.

“Well, Sebastian!  It’s nice to see you again.”

“You too, Vinny.  Is Sugar ready?”

“I’m sure she will be in a-”

“Ready!”  Sugar said from behind her dad.  She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.  “Bye, Daddy. Puck will be bringing me home.  I’ll call if we’re going to be late.”

“Puck, huh?”  Vinny raised an eyebrow.  He turned to Sebastian, “What do you think of that Sebastian?”  Vinny actually liked Puck just fine, but he wanted to be extra sure that his baby girl was dating someone worthy.  He trusted Sebastian, since he had heard of all he had done for Kurt.

“Puck is fantastic, Vinny.  I would have no problem with Leah dating him if she were older.  He’s very protective of the people he cares about, and he obviously cares about Sugar a great deal.”

Vinny clapped Sebastian on the shoulder, “Good to know.  I liked him, but he’s always so quiet around me.”

“I think he was probably nervous.  It took him a long time to ask Sugar out because he was so nervous about it.  He doesn’t want to screw this up. He really is head over heels for her. He’s a good guy.”

Sugar was standing there looking at her dad with big puppy dog eyes.  “Feel better, Daddy?”

“Much.”  Vinny winked at them.  “Alright, get out of here!”

“Thanks, Daddy!”  Sugar said as she grabbed Sebastian’s arm and headed out the door.

When they got in the car, Sugar turned to Sebastian and said, “Thanks for saying all those things about Puck, Seb.”

“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true, Sugar.  He’s a great guy, and he really does care about you a lot.”

Sugar paused and then go all excited, “Let’s take a selfie!  We’ll commemorate the occasion.”

She got her phone and leaned over.  They took the selfie and she quickly texted the pic to Kurt and Puck with the text, ‘On our way to see our boyfriends!’

 

Sebastian and Sugar enjoyed watching the game. They ended up sitting with all of the non-football playing Glee members.  Sebastian was pleased that they accepted him so easily, and he fit in just fine. A few of them were a bit annoying, but others made up for that. Sebastian was actually impressed with Sugar’s football knowledge.  She occasionally had to fill Sebastian in on what was happening in the game, because he was too distracted watching Kurt cheer.

After the game, Sebastian and Sugar waited for their boyfriends by the locker room doors.  Sugar filled Sebastian in on what they had all discussed for a costume idea.

“You mean I get to see Kurt with eyeliner again?!”  Sebastian said as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Sugar laughed, “Yep!  Angel did look really hot, didn’t he?”

“Oh my god, I am going to have to summon every bit of self control I have.” Sebastian smiled and they both laughed.  

 

Later that evening Sebastian and Kurt were eating dessert at Desserted Love.  Sebastian was smirking to himself.

Kurt grabbed Sebastian’s hand across the table.  “I’m so glad you finally got your cast off. That was a nice surprise.”

“I’m glad too.  It feels good.” Sebastian smirked as he stretched his hand across Kurt’s hand and over his wrist.  He looked like he was thinking about something, but it wasn’t his hand.

“You know, you have quite an obvious ‘I’m-up-to-no-good’ look on your face.  What are you up to?” Kurt asked with a flirty tone.

“Hmm?  Nothing.”  Sebastian said as innocently as possible, though he wasn’t quite selling it.  

“Yeah, I’m not buyin’ it.”  Kurt smiled.

Sebastian smiled back.  He put down his fork and leaned forward.  “So about these costumes you and your friends want us all to wear…”

“You mean _our_ friends.  And what about them?”  Kurt squinted his eyes and raised an eyebrow.

“Does that mean I get to see you with eyeliner and messy hair again?”  Sebastian wiggled his eyebrows.  
Kurt giggled, “Of course that’s what you’re thinking.”  He leaned forward as well and in a low, sexy voice, said, “Yes.  But that also means I get to see _you_ in eyeliner and messy hair.  And I can’t wait.”

Sebastian was frozen for a few seconds, staring at Kurt.  He cleared his throat and his mind, “Oh god, Baby, you’re killin’ me.”

Kurt just grinned.  Knowing what that look did for Sebastian was a huge motivation.  He couldn’t wait for the party.

 

…………

 

“Kurt, I cannot do eyeliner!”  Finn exclaimed.

“You can, and you will.  Now hold still.” Kurt said.

“Dude, it will look awesome.  Look how hot I look!” Puck said, gesturing to himself.  He was wearing a sleeveless shirt that showed off his muscles, and ripped up jeans.  He had a plaid shirt wrapped around his waist, and his mohawk was spiked. He wore a couple of leather cuffs on his wrist, and had on black combat boots.  

Finn and Sam were dressed similarly.  Finn wore one of Puck’s leather biker jackets over a t-shirt, and both boys had messy hair.  Sam had chains hanging from his front pockets to his back pockets, and shirt was just short enough to occasionally ride up and show off his abs.

Kurt laughed.  “You do look hot, Noah.  Sugar is going to be so excited… In more than one way.”  He turned and winked at Puck.

Just then, Sugar and Rachel walked in.  Their hair was teased out in wild curls, with sections of bright red.  Their eyes were smokey and heavily lined. They had on dark lipstick and small star stickers around their eyes.  

Sugar wore a small, black, leather mini-skirt, a cropped t-shirt that was white with black and red graphics, and a cropped army green jacket with studs.  Her black, heeled boots went up past her knees. She had on several bangle bracelets, and large hoop earrings.

“Oh fuck.”  Puck whispered.  Everyone giggled, including Sugar.  

“Like it?”  She asked, looking up at Puck through her lashes.  

“Um…”  Puck couldn’t form any more words.  He just shook his head ‘yes’.

“Damn, Rach.  You look hot.”  Finn said, looking at her over Kurt’s shoulder. She was wearing black leather pants instead of a skirt.  Her crop top was solid red, with ripped sections that revealed a black lace cami underneath. She wore similar jewelry, and her boots had heels that gave her several inches over her norm.

Kurt finished up lining Finn’s eyes, and turned to the girls.  “You two look so hot. Not hot enough to turn me straight, but close.”

 

“Angel, your man is not going to be able to keep his hands off of you tonight.”  

“That was kind of my goal.”  Kurt winked at her with a grin.  He had on a tight dark grey t-shirt with hints of blue in the graphics.  It showed off his nicely toned arms and chest. He wore black leather pants, with boots to his knees.  His hair was messy with blue streaks in it. His eyes were lined and he had a hint of mascara on. He wore a blue leather jacket that had several zippers going in all different directions.  

Kurt looked around at the group and smiled.  They did look hot. “Ready to rock n’ roll? We need to get to Bas’ early so I can do his makeup.”

“Let’s do it!”  Puck said.

 

When they got to Sebastian’s house, there was a collective gasp from everyone but Sugar, since she had already seen it.  “Yeah, I know.” Kurt said.

They rang the doorbell , with Kurt in front.  They all stuck a pose to surprise Sebastian when he opened the door.

Seconds later, the door opened, and Sebastian’s jaw dropped.  “Wow,” he breathed. He stepped out, wrapped his arms around Kurt’s waist, “Baby, you look… so…”  He pressed his hands possessively on the small of Kurt’s back and he leaned down and kissed Kurt. It started out gentle, but soon became a little more heated.

Finn cleared his throat.  “O-kay. That’s enough of that.  Seb, he _is_ my little brother.”

Sebastian and Kurt pulled out of the kiss, and without taking his eyes off of Sebastian, Kurt said, “I’m older than you Finn.” as he winked at Seb.

Sebastian was wearing a tight black sleeveless t-shirt with graphics in silver. It showed off his arms perfectly.  His jeans were tight, and they had holes in them in all the right places. He had a leather cuff on his wrist, and two belts, one black, and one black and silver, that hung slightly on his hips.  He had a chunky ring on his right hand.

Sebastian snapped out of the trance Kurt had him under and he lead the way inside.  Once the group was in the living room, he said, “Kurt and I will be right back. Make yourselves at home.”  Satchmo came up behind him and whined. “Oh! This is Satchmo. He’s an attention hog, so if you start giving him lovin’, he won’t want you to stop.”  Finn was immediately on the floor playing with Satchmo. It was love at first sight.

Once they got upstairs, Sebastian closed the door to his room and kissed Kurt again.  “So fucking hot.” he said.

“Mmm, I’m glad you like it.  Now let’s get you ready so we can go.”  He began getting his hair and makeup stuff out. “Dad left for DC this morning, so he said I could stay here, if that’s still okay.”

“Of course.  You’re always welcome here.”

“I swear he trusts you more than anyone else.  It’s like he thinks of you as my bodyguard or something.”  Kurt smirked.

“Well, I take that as a compliment.  And of course I would protect you no matter what.  I love you.” Seb placed both hands on Kurt’s face.  He was happy he could do that now that his cast was off.  He leaned down and kissed Kurt again.

“I love you too, Bas.  So much.” Kurt smiled and kissed Sebastian on the cheek.  Kurt pulled Seb over to the chair at his desk. “Sit, please.”  He motioned to the chair.

Sebastian sat, and Kurt quickly worked his magic on Seb’s hair.  “Hot.” Kurt said as he stood back and looked at his work. “Now, time for make-up.”  Without saying another word, Kurt grabbed the eyeliner, and then straddled Sebastian’s lap.

Seb let out a low throaty growl, almost as a warning.  “Baby…” He placed his hands on Kurt’s hips.

Kurt gave a flirty grin, “Hold still.”

Once Kurt was finished with Sebastian’s eye makeup, he paused again to look at his work.  Sebastian looked so hot, Kurt couldn’t help it. He rolled his hips against Sebastian’s and whispered, “So. Sexy,” before quickly making his way off of Sebastian’s lap.  If he stayed even seconds more, they might not make it back downstairs to their friends.

Sebastian let out a big sigh, “You really are going to be the death of me.  I don’t know how I’m going to keep my hands to myself all night.”

Kurt cocked his head innocently, smirked, and said, “Then don’t.”

 

The boys joined the rest of the group downstairs.  “Damn, we look good!” Puck said.

“I agree.  We need a picture.”  Rachel said.

“Lets have Nick or Jeff take one once we’re there.  That way we can all be in the picture,” Seb said. At that, they were off.  Everyone piled into the Navigator except for Sebastian and Kurt, who took Seb’s Corvette.  Sam drove the Navigator and followed Sebastian.

 

When they got to Nick’s house, the entire group inside the Navigator was making comments on the size of the house, and how kids from Dalton just live a different lifestyle.  When they got to the front door they pulled the same pose that they had for Sebastian. Nick’s eyebrows shot straight to his hairline. “Holy shit! You guys look amazing!” Nick was a zombie, with the rotting flesh to match.  

Suddenly there was a squeal from behind him.  “Oh my god!! You guys! You look SO HOT! Okay, this needs a photo, for sure!”  Jeff said. He was also a zombie. Nick and Jeff looked great together.

The group came in and posed for a few pictures with several peoples phones.

The party was well underway.  The Warblers were all there, as well as few other people from Dalton and their girlfriends.  There were a few friends of Steven’s, Nick’s brother, who mostly stuck to the kitchen and back patio by a fire they had going in the outdoor fireplace.  The living room had a karaoke machine going, and several Warblers were singing together. People were dancing and having a good time. There was a bit of alcohol, but nobody was full on drunk… Yet.

Kurt and Sebastian were holding hands as they walked into the living room, and their friends were close behind them.  As soon as the Warblers who were singing saw Kurt, they stopped singing. Everyone stopped and looked in the direction that the now silent singers were looking.  Most of the Warblers had not seen Kurt in a long time, and most had certainly not seen him since he was assaulted. One of them said, “Kurt.” They didn’t know what to say or what to do.

Sebastian sighed, and tightened his grip on Kurt’s hand.  “Guys…”

“It’s okay, Bas.”  Kurt looked up at him and smiled a small shy smile.  “Hi everyone. It’s nice to see you all. Look, I’m fine.  I don’t want anyone treating me any differently than you would have a couple of months ago.  Okay?” Several people grinned back and shook their heads. “While I have your attention, let me introduce you to ‘my band’.”  He chuckled. He introduced everyone from the New Directions. “Okay! Who’s singing next?” The crowd quickly went back to normal.

 

Everyone was having a good time dancing and singing.  At one point, Kurt was sitting in Sebastian’s lap on the couch when Rachel and Sugar decided to do a duet.  The boys were all gathered around watching when suddenly Jeff came into the room, looking worried. He tried his best to look casual, and wondered over toward the couch.  He stood behind it, and lightly tapped Sebastian on the shoulder. He immediately put a finger to his lips, so that when Sebastian turned, he would not say anything. Once Sebastian looked up at him, Jeff nodded toward the hallway, then looked toward Kurt and shook his head ‘no’.   _What is going on?_  Sebastian wondered.

Sebastian patted Kurt on the thigh and said, “Hop up, Babe.  I’ll be right back.” Kurt got up and sat back down in Sebastian’s spot.

Sebastian went into the hallway, and Jeff quickly followed.  Seb looked at Jeff, and could see the worry in his face. “What’s wrong, Jeff?”

Jeff paused for a second to calm his nerves. “Cooper is here. Apparently he and Steven are friends.”

“Shit.”  Sebastian sighed.  “Where is he?”

“Outside on the patio.”  Jeff said. “What do you want to do?”

“I don’t want to have to leave.  Kurt is having such a good time, and he needs this.  Maybe we can just avoid him. Now that we know he’s not the stalker, maybe it won’t be so bad.  Have Steven tell Cooper to stay outside. Or at least for him to stay out of the living room. I’ll try to keep Kurt in there so he doesn’t roam around too much.  I’ll give the guys a heads up too, so they can keep an eye out.”

“Okay, I can do that.”  Jeff said. He was a little relieved, but he still worried that Kurt would want to head outside or go to the kitchen.

Sebastian went back in and pulled Sam aside, since he was closest.  “Sam, Cooper is here. He’s friends with Nick’s brother. He’s outside.”

“Oh no. Do you want to leave?”

“No, I don’t want to do that to Kurt.  He needs this right now. Just tell Finn and Puck without Kurt hearing.  Jeff is going to see if they can keep Cooper from coming into the living room.  Maybe we can avoid each other all together.”

“Alright.  But if he says anything…”

“I know, Sam.  Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

 

Ten minutes later, Steven was outside with his friends.  “Okay, everyone. I have been asked to keep my friends separate from my brother’s friends.  Don’t ask me why. It’s probably some weird teenage reason. So let’s keep our party out here, and in the kitchen.”  Steven rolled his eyes as if he thought it was ridiculous. Steven knew exactly why they needed to keep the two groups separate.  Nick had explained the whole thing. He had been away at college when everything happened, so he had no idea what Kurt had been through and how Blaine was involved.  Otherwise, he would have never invited Cooper.

Everything was going great.  More dancing, singing, and partying continued for another hour. Whenever Kurt wanted something, someone was there to get it for him, or they would simply bring him something without him asking.  He didn’t even notice they were doing it.

Cooper, on the other hand, had been drinking.  He walked into the kitchen and heard the commotion coming from the living room.  He peaked his head in and saw Thad and Finn having a song battle. Everyone was cheering and carrying on.  Cooper staggered in and announced rather loudly, “So this is why we can’t come in here? Because your too busy si….”  He noticed Kurt and stopped speaking.

Thad and Finn had stopped singing.  All eyes, quickly went to Kurt, and then right back to Cooper.  Kurt had been standing behind the couch at a small table, talking to Trent.  All he could do was stare at Cooper. Sebastian had been sitting on the floor with Sugar, Puck, and a Warbler named Cameron.  Everyone knew who Cooper was, and everyone in the room stood up, essentially putting themselves between Cooper and Kurt. Sebastian quickly made his way to his boyfriend’s side, and grabbed his hand.  He stood with one shoulder in front of Kurt.

“I think you need to leave, Cooper.”  Nick said sternly. Jeff ran outside to get Steven.

“Why?”  Cooper said with a slight slur.  

“You were told to stay out of the living room.  And for good reason. You are not welcome here.”  Nick continued.

“Why not?  Because that little whore over there lied about my brother?”  He stepped forward, but so did Nick, Puck, Sam, and Finn. Rachel and Sugar made their way over to be next to Kurt.

“Watch your mouth, Anderson.”  Sebastian growled.

“Or what?  Think you can knock me out too?”  Cooper sneered and took another step forward.

Puck stepped in front of him.  He didn’t say a word. But he was not going to let him pass.  

“I know I could.  And would. But also, Puck there in front of you, could also do it.  Or Kurt’s brothers, Finn and Sam,” Finn and Sam stepped forward, “Or any of the other thirty plus friends we have in the room.”  Sebastian squeezed Kurt’s hand, let go, and stepped around the couch. He didn’t get in Cooper’s face, but he did make his physical presence known.  “Why don’t you come to the trial, Cooper. That way you can see the photos, and the evidence against your precious brother. Until then, don’t make assumptions or accusations.  You need to leave.”

“ _You_ are making assumptions and accusations!” Cooper yelled.

“We were there, Cooper.  I saw with my own eyes what that asshole was doing to Kurt.”  He stepped closer. “And until the trial, I will do everything in my power to keep that night as far away from Kurt’s thoughts as possible.  And that starts with you getting the fuck out!”

As if on cue, everyone stepped forward toward Cooper.  For the first time, he looked around and saw every set of angry eyes looking at him. “Fine.”  He growled.

He turned around, and Steven was standing there.  “I called you an Uber, Coop. You’re leaving.”

Cooper threw his hand in the air in a dismissive manner and stormed out of the living room toward the front door.  Steven followed him to make sure he actually left.

Sebastian turned to make his way back to Kurt, only to realize that Kurt had already made his way to him.  Kurt threw himself into Sebastian's arms. Everyone was watching.

“I love you, Bas.”  Kurt said softly.

Sebastian kissed Kurt’s temple.  “I love you too, Baby.” He pulled back.  “Are you okay?”

“I’m wonderful.”  Kurt grinned.

Sebastian raised his eyebrows in surprise.  “You are?”

“Yep.”  Kurt turned to look at everyone.  All eyes were still on them, and the room was silent.  “You see, a couple of years ago, I had no one. And now… I have an amazing boyfriend,”  He ran a hand down Seb’s cheek, “two great brothers,” He looked to Finn and Sam, “and the best friends in the world.  A whole room full of them!” His smile grew. “Thank you everyone. You were here for me when I needed you. Some of you, more than once or twice.”  He looked at Puck and Sebastian. “I am one lucky guy.”

Sebastian smiled and leaned down and kissed him.  After a few hoots and hollers, things started to get back to normal.  

Nick approached Kurt.  “Sorry, Kurt. I didn’t know he would be here, and Steven didn’t know what had happened since he was out of town, or he would have never invited him.”

Kurt put his hand on Nick’s shoulder, and smiled softly.  “No need to apologize. I’m fine.”

 

When the evening was coming to an end, Kurt received more hugs than he ever remembered getting.  When he hugged Sam and Finn goodnight, he reminded them that he was staying with Sebastian.

“Yeah, be good.”  Finn replied.

“What’s the fun in that?”  Kurt smiled.

“Dude!”

“You know I’ll be fine.  No worries.”  Kurt playfully rolled his eyes.

Kurt turned and gave Sugar and Puck a hug goodbye.  “Thanks again, guys. You really are the best.”

“Of course, Princess.”  Puck grinned.

“Love you, Angel.”  Sugar smiled. “Have fun tonight!”  She said as she wiggled her eyebrows.

 

Sebastian walked up to Kurt and put his hand on Kurt’s back.  Kurt loved how Sebastian’s hand felt large and possessive where it rested.  

“Ready to go, Babe?”

“All set.”  Kurt said.

 

When they got back to Sebastian’s house, Kurt realized that Sebastian’s parents still didn’t seem to be home.

“Are your parents still out?”

“Yeah, they’re in DC at the same event as Burt.”  Sebastian answered. He thought Kurt knew that. “I’m sure your dad knew that.  It’s kind of a big deal event. I thought that’s why he wanted us to stay together.”

“Oh, I’m sure he did realize.  I just didn’t. That’s… convenient.”

Sebastian walked back over to where Kurt was standing and put his hand on his shoulder.  “If you aren’t comfortable with this, I can take you home. Or you could stay in a guest room, if that makes you feel better.”

“No, Bas, I’m not uncomfortable at all.  I just didn’t realize. It’s a nice surprise.”  He smiled.  
“I like that I’ll have you all to myself.”

“Good.  Let’s go upstairs.”

Kurt couldn’t wait to get upstairs.  A shower and his boyfriends arms, sounded perfect.


	19. A Night To Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys make love for the first time. Some of Kurt's needs come to the surface. Will Sebastian be willing and able to fulfill his wishes?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, this was a hard chapter to write. I'm just not used to writing sex scenes. I hope I did it justice.  
> Warning for some slight D/s  
> This chapter is probably rated E. Should I change the rating of this fic?  
> Kudos and Comments are welcomed and VERY appreciated!!!

 

Once upstairs in the bedroom, Sebastian closed the door and turned around only to find Kurt inches in front of his face.  Kurt tossed his bag aside and pushed Sebastian up against the door. Sebastian felt his heart was going to beat out his chest.   _Fuck, that’s hot,_ he thought. _Surely he’s not..._

Before Sebastian could even finish that thought, Kurt said, “I need you to understand something, Bas.”  He leaned up and kissed Sebastian. When he pulled away, he continued whispering in Sebastian’s ear, “I am not a fragile flower.  I’m not made of glass.” He kissed Seb again, only deeper, running his hand up through Seb’s hair. Sebastian moaned into the kiss.  Kurt pulled away again, and kissed Sebastian’s neck, “I know you’re holding back, and I know why.” Kurt pressed his body against Sebastian’s, “But you don’t need to.” Kurt rolled his hips against Sebastian.

Sebastian let out a low growl as Kurt continued to give open mouth kisses on his neck.  “Baby…”

Kurt pulled back and looked Sebastian in the eyes.  “I don’t feel broken when I’m with you, like if you touch me the wrong way, or say the wrong thing, I might crumble.  So don’t treat me that way.” He ran his hands through Seb’s hair and then to his face. “I know you love me. You show me in everything you do.  And I love you.” He leaned up and took Sebastian’s bottom lip between his teeth for a few seconds and then sucked it. “Nnn, I also know you want me.” He rolled his hips again.  “And I want you too, Bas.”

Sebastian put his hand on the small of Kurt’s back and pulled him in even closer.  “I do want you. So fucking much. But,” he kissed Kurt’s neck, “I need you to tell me what you want, Baby.”  He had one hand thread through Kurt’s hair, and the other was fisting the back of Kurt’s shirt. He continued to kiss Kurt’s neck for a bit, and Kurt couldn’t even form words.  “I need to hear it, Kurt.”

The heat was building inside Kurt unlike anything he had ever imagined.  He needed Sebastian. Now. And he needed him to take control.

“Bas, please.”  Kurt breathed. He continued to thrust his hips forward while Sebastian was kissing his neck, searching for friction as he spoke. “I’m tired of thinking.  I’m tired of trying to control things in my life. This needs to be different. I need you. I trust you. Take control, Bas. Make me yours.”

“Fuck.”  That was all Sebastian needed to hear before taking control.  He spun Kurt around so that he was the one against the door. “I want your cock in my mouth.”  He whispered in his ear as was grinding against him. “And when I’m finished, you’re going to do the same for me.”  Kurt moaned at the words and the demand in his boyfriend’s tone.

Sebastian pulled Kurt’s shirt off over his head, and then kissed him hard.  When he pulled away, he began on his neck, and then worked his way down Kurt’s chest until he was on his knees in front of him.  He made quick work of undoing Kurt’s pants, and then lowered them down past his hips.

He wrapped his long fingers around Kurt’s cock and stroked a few times as he looked up into Kurt’s eyes.  He winked at him and then took the head of dick into his mouth and sucked. Kurt let out whimper, and then threaded his fingers into Sebastian’s hair.  “Fuck!”

Sebastian lowered his head and took Kurt into his mouth as far as he could.  He worked his tongue over the slit, and moaned as he took Kurt all the way again.  He was good at this, and he knew it. His head bobbed up and down as he sucked. He continued to use his hand at the base of Kurt’s cock, and then cupped his balls and massaged.

After a few minutes, Kurt was seeing stars.  A warm feeling was building, and he knew it wouldn’t be long.  “Bas…”

Sebastian pulled away and stroked as he said, “Cum for me, Baby.”  He circled his tongue around the head of Kurt’s dick and then took his length over and over.  Kurt gripped Sebastian’s hair, “Ahhh! Bas!” and came hard down his throat.

Sebastian moaned as he swallowed Kurt down.  He licked him clean as Kurt came back to Earth.  Sebastian stood and kissed Kurt hard. He thrust his tongue in his mouth and grabbed Kurt’s ass.  He turned them around so that he had his back against the door once again.

“On your knees, Baby.”  Kurt immediately dropped to his knees.  He loved how Sebastian was taking control, commanding him.

Sebastian undid his own pants and lowered them.  He grabbed hold of his own cock and rubbed Kurt’s lips with the head of his dick.  “Open.”

Kurt opened his mouth and took Sebastian’s head in and sucked.  He took Sebastian’s length all the way, over and over. There was no gagging or choking. _Fuck!_   _Of course he has no gag reflex.  He really is perfect,_ Sebastian thought.  He ran his hands through Kurt’s hair as he continued to bob his head up and down.  Sebastian moaned when Kurt looked up at him through his lashes, his blue eyes still heavily lined.  “Fuck, you’re gorgeous.” Kurt moaned in response.

Sebastian grabbed Kurt under his chin and lifted his head to the right angle to gently fuck his mouth.  Kurt reached around and grabbed Sebastian’s ass, pulling him in, over and over, until his cock was hitting the back of his throat.  After a few minutes Sebastian came down Kurt’s throat, and Kurt didn’t even blink and eye. _Fuck_.

Once Kurt had licked him clean and composed himself a bit, Sebastian dropped to his knees, joining Kurt.  He kissed him deep and passionately, tasting his own cum in his boyfriend's mouth. He took Kurt’s face between his hands and said,  “You’re amazing, Baby. Go shower and dry your hair. I’m going to use the guest bathroom. When I get back, I want you in my bed, naked, and waiting for me.”

“Yes, Sebastian.”  Kurt stood and made his way to the bathroom.  He wondered why he answered him like that. It wasn’t like him. He rarely called his boyfriend ‘Sebastian’. But he loved the way his boyfriend was taking control.  It made him feel loved, wanted, needed, and owned. ‘Owned’ was not something he would have said he would ever want to feel. But now he did. He knew this was not typical of his personality, but not only did he want it, he needed it.  And he never felt better.

 

Sebastian came back into the bedroom wearing only a towel around his waist.  He stopped only a few feet into the room. He breath hitched when he saw Kurt, laying naked in his bed just like he told him to.  He was gorgeous. He couldn’t believe that this beautiful boy was his. “God, you’re beautiful,” Sebastian said as he blatantly stared at his boyfriend.    
Kurt smiled, only slightly embarrassed. He was already half hard, just thinking of Sebastian.  He looked at his boyfriend’s nearly naked body and couldn’t believe how lucky he was. This gorgeous, loving boy, was all his.  He wanted to give himself to Sebastian completely.

Walking over toward the bed, Sebastian took the towel off and tossed in a nearby hamper.  He crawled into bed, where he hovered over top Kurt and leaned down and passionately kissed him.  Kurt ran his fingers through Seb’s hair and moaned. Sebastian stopped, looked into Kurt’s eyes, and said, “I’m going to top you.  If you want, you can top me later, but right now, I want to be deep inside of you.”

Kurt was breathing heavy with anticipation and shook his head 'yes'.  He looked at Sebastian’s lips, then his eyes.  He wrapped his arms around Seb’s neck and pulled him down into a deep kiss.  

Sebastian broke away from the kiss for a minute and reached over and opened his nightstand drawer, pulling out a condom and a bottle of lube.

Kurt put his hand on Sebastian’s, “No, Bas.”  Sebastian looked at him confused for a second, and then Kurt added, “I’m clean.  You’re clean. I want to feel you. All _you_.  No condom.”

Sebastian tossed the condom aside.  As he crawled back to Kurt, he spread Kurt’s legs and knelt between them.  Putting his hands under Kurt’s legs and bent them up, he leaned over Kurt once more, kissed him, and whispered, “I love you.”

Kurt caressed Sebastian’s face, “I love you, too.”

Sebastian lubed his fingers, making sure it was warm, and then reached down to find Kurt’s entrance.  He pressed one finger slightly inside, making sure to watch Kurt’s facial expressions for any signs of too much discomfort.  He wanted this to be a completely enjoyable experience, with little to no pain.

He pushed his finger in to the second knuckle, giving Kurt time to adjust.  He saw no signs of distress, so he pushed in all the way. “Are you okay, Baby?”

Kurt simply nodded ‘yes’.

Sebastian began pumping his finger in and out slowly.  After a few minutes, he notices Kurt moving his hips, so he picked up the speed.  He gently added a second finger and began scissoring Kurt’s tight ring.

When he found Kurt’s prostate, Kurt nearly screamed, “Oh my god!”.  

Sebastian smiled, “Feel good, Babe?”

Kurt smiled slightly in his daze of pleasure, “More!”

Sebastian chuckled to himself and then hit the spot again.  He loved watching Kurt’s face. He hit the spot a couple more times before adding a bit more lube, and then a third finger.  

Once he felt Kurt was ready, he lubed his cock and lined up with Kurt’s entrance.  He looked Kurt in the eye, then leaned down to kiss him. He pulled back up, so he could see Kurt’s face as he slid inside of him.  

He started slow, pausing to make sure Kurt could adjust.  Once he was half way in, he paused simply because it felt so damn good, he was afraid he would lose it.  He had never had sex without a condom. It felt so good. To top that off, he was inside the boy he loved.  He wasn’t sure he could keep going without pausing to regain control of himself.

Once he bottomed out, he paused again to make sure Kurt was okay.  “Oh my god, Bas.” Kurt sighed. “You feel so good.”

“You do too, Baby.  So fucking good.” Sebastian said as he began thrusting in and out of Kurt slowly.  

He leaned down and kissed Kurt again.  He moved to his neck and ear as he continued to thrust faster.  Kurt was writhing underneath him. They couldn’t get enough of each other.  

Several minutes later, Sebastian sat up a little and grabbed Kurt’s legs, hoisting them over his shoulders.  It gave him the perfect angle to hit Kurt’s prostate.

Kurt was moaning and making the most beautiful noises.  Sebastian was in heaven. He could get off on Kurt’s voice alone. They were both so close.

“Bas!”  Kurt breathed.

Sebastian reached down and grabbed Kurt’s cock and began stroking him.  “Cum, Kurt. Now!”

Kurt instantly came harder than he ever had.  Only seconds later, Sebastian came, calling Kurt’s name.

Kurt’s legs fell back to either side of Sebastian, and Sebastian collapsed on top of Kurt.  Kurt wrapped his arms around Seb’s shoulders, and Seb ran his fingers lovingly through Kurt’s hair.  

Sebastian suddenly felt Kurt’s breathing changed and immediately pulled back to look at his boyfriend.  “Baby, what’s wrong? Are you hurt? Why are you crying?” He felt he was going to panic any second. He didn’t want this to be a bad experience for Kurt. Especially after all he had been through.  He deserved to have his first time be perfect.

“No, Bas.  I’m great, I promise.   I just… It’s all so perfect.  I’m so happy, and I love you so much.  I’m just a little overwhelmed by how amazing it all is.  How amazing _you_ are.”

“Awe, Baby.  I feel the same way.  I can’t imagine my life without you.  I love you so much.” He kissed Kurt on the lips, then the cheek, and then the forehead.

After a few more minutes, Sebastian got up and got a warm towel, and cleaned Kurt up.  He crawled into bed and snuggled with Kurt until they both fell asleep.

 

……………

 

The next morning, Kurt and Sebastian woke up from the best night of sleep they had ever had.  They snuggled in bed for awhile, but snuggles and hugs soon turned into kisses, making out, and eventually, Kurt taking Sebastian from behind while Seb was on all fours.  They hadn’t even eaten breakfast before they ended up taking a nap.

 

…………….

 

The second time the boys woke up was because Sebastian had to use the restroom.  He was only gone a minute, but when he returned, Kurt was gone. He wondered downstairs, only to find Kurt getting things out of the pantry to make omelets.  

“Work up an appetite?”  Sebastian said as he winked at Kurt.  He walked over and wrapped his arms around Kurt from behind.

“Absolutely.  I’m starving.”  

“How are you feeling?  Sore?”

“I’m actually pretty okay.  Not as sore as I thought I’d be, anyway.”  He turned and kissed Sebastian on the cheek.  “How are you feeling?”

“Good.”  Sebastian kissed his neck, and then went to turn on the coffee machine, and then fed Satchmo before letting him out into the back yard.

They prepared their breakfast and coffee in comfortable silence.  Once they sat to eat, the topic of conversation revolved around the friends they had seen the night before.  They laughed and told stories and the conversation easily flowed.

When breakfast was finished, Kurt took the dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher.  He turned to find Sebastian right behind him. He wrapped his arms around Seb’s shoulders and sighed.  “Thank you, Bas.”

Bas furrowed his brow, “For what?”

“For loving me.  And… so much more…”

Sebastian sighed. “First of all, loving you is the easiest thing I have ever done.  There’s no need to thank me for that.” He grinned at Kurt and then kissed his forehead.  “And second, I think there is a lot you need to tell me that you’re afraid to.”

Kurt smirked, “How do you even know these things?”  Kurt seriously wondered how Sebastian could read him like an open book.

“I know you.  I can tell when you’re holding back, just like you could tell I was holding back last night.”

Kurt took a deep breath, “About last night…”

Sebastian knew that Kurt didn’t regret anything they did the night before.  He had a feeling he knew what this was about, but he held his breath anyway.

“Umm…”  Kurt didn’t know how to start this awkward conversation.  

“Kurt, you can tell me anything.  Say anything. I won’t judge you.”

“Let’s go sit in the living room…. But first I have to pee.”  Kurt said as he turned to walk to the bathroom.

Sebastian called out to him, “How do you hold it so long?”

“Years of being afraid of school bathrooms gave me a large bladder!”  Kurt yelled back as he walked down the hall.

Sebastian let Satchmo back in, and then made himself comfortable on the couch.  When Kurt came back in, he kissed Seb on the cheek and then sat next to him. He reached over and grabbed Seb’s hand. “I umm…”  He sighed, “I recently discovered that I, umm, may want, or rather, _need_ , something different than you may be used to.”  Kurt could feel his cheeks heating and knew he was blushing.  

Satchmo jumped up on the couch and laid his head on Kurt’s lap.  Kurt smiled at him and stroked his head, taking comfort in his new friend.

Sebastian smiled softly and stroked Kurt’s knuckles as he held his hand tighter.  “And what is that you need?”

“Bas,”  Kurt paused for a few seconds, “I have tried to control every aspect of my life, to the point of exhaustion at times.”  Kurt looked down at their hands, “I have been in charge of the cooking and cleaning since my mom died ten years ago. Even with Carol in our lives for the last year, I still cook half the time.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind. I enjoy cooking. On top of running the household, I’ve always earned top grades, taken piano lessons, Glee, cheer, and other ‘normal’ things high school kids do.  But then you add the things I’ve been through and the stress that brings...I can very easily become mentally exhausted. And sometime physically, too. I honestly have no idea how I would have survived these last couple of months without you.”  He looked up into Sebastian’s eyes and smiled softly.

Sebastian smiled a sad smile back.  He ran a hand down Kurt’s cheek. His heart ached for Kurt.  He knew he had a lot on his plate, and he had to be exhausted.

Kurt continued, “From the moment I really looked into your eyes, I knew we had a connection.  I can’t stop thinking of you. I want you all the time. When it comes to us, though, I don’t feel like I have to control anything.  But when situations come up that…” Kurt didn’t know how to say what he wanted and needed. “I just…”

Sebastian squeezed Kurt’s hand. “Kurt, do you need me to take control?”

Kurt sighed in relief.  “God, _yes_.  See, you just did.  Sometimes I just can’t.  I know I can come across as bitchy, and headstrong.  And believe me, I can be. There will be times you may try to control something, and I just won’t accept it, but most of the time… I need you to do it. Like you did last night.  And sometime, maybe even... more.”

Sebastian nodded his head, “Okay.  I’m already a pretty dominant person...in pretty much all aspects of my life.  But, Kurt, I need to know how far you want to take this. I can’t - won’t - cross the line with you.  Are we talking about sex, or are we talking about more than that?”

“Mostly sex.  I think everything else has been pretty perfect.  Not that I don’t think last night,” Kurt smiled, “and this morning, were perfect.  But I may need even more than that.”

“Okay.  I can’t tell you I will do more than that unless I know what ‘more’ is.  I do have boundaries.” Sebastian chuckled.

Kurt smiled.  “I’m not talking whips and chains.  I’m talking more… words.” Kurt looked down and blushed again. “Maybe… commands?”

Sebastian felt a tingle go through him, right to his crotch.  “Damn, Kurt, that just made me horny as hell.”

Kurt chuckled.

“I can do that, Baby.” Sebastian put his hand under Kurt’s chin and made him tilt his head to look at him.  “And I don’t think any less of you because of this. This does not make you week, or less of a man. I know that’s what you’re thinking.”

Kurt closed his eyes, trying not to cry.  “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

“I know.  But don’t.  I will never think less of you for speaking the truth about your thoughts and feelings.  I love you, Kurt.” He leaned over and kissed Kurt softly on the lips.

“I love you too, Bas.  So much.”

 

The boys spent the rest of the day watching movies, walking Satchmo through the gardens, and talking as they snuggled on the couch.  

As they laid tangled in each other’s arms, Sebastian said, “So guess what’s in two weeks?”

Kurt smiled, “Sectionals.  Good thing we aren’t competing against each other. Yet. Guess what’s in one month.”

Sebastian frowned, “I have no idea.  What?”

“My 18th birthday.”  Kurt smiled, and so did  Sebastian.


	20. Stress and Sectionals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt struggles with the stress of the upcoming trial, and it takes some intervention to set him straight. New Directions and the Warblers head to Sectionals and try to build Kurt's strength in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I never understood why New Directions and Warblers were always going up against each other. There are too many schools for that to always be happening! Anyway, in my world, they don't need to go up against each other as soon as Sectionals. Heck, maybe not until Nationals... We'll see!
> 
>  
> 
> Remember, this is an AU, so in this fic, Quinn and Puck do not have a baby together, and the Keep Holding On was never sung to her.

On Monday morning, Kurt walked through the halls of McKinley with a bit of pep in his step.  He couldn’t be happier, and it showed. When Sugar and Puck saw him at his locker before classes started, Puck grinned and said, “Princess, you totally got lucky!”

Sugar was smiling, but Kurt’s mouth hung open and his eyes widened.  “Noah!” He looked around to make sure nobody was listening. “I… Would you keep your voice down?”

“So it’s true!”  Sugar giggled, “You didn’t deny it, Angel!”

Kurt sighed in defeat.  He could try to deny it, but his two best friends knew him too well.  There was no use. “Okay, okay. Yes.” He couldn’t help the grin that crept up in the corners of his mouth.  

“I knew it!”  Puck said.

“You’re totally glowing, Angel.”

“Yeah, well….”  Kurt smiled.

“So, you’re totally going to leave us hanging, aren’t you.  No juicy details?” Puck wiggled his eyebrows. Sugar whacked him on the arm.  “Hey!”

“No, Noah.  No juicy details.”  Kurt blushed.

“Well, I’m happy for you, Angel.”

“Me too, Sugar.  Me too.”

 

…………….

 

Sebastian was eating lunch with Nick, Jeff, Trent, and Thad on Monday.  They were discussing Sectionals and having their normal debates. Once the debates settled down, Sebastian wanted everyone’s opinion about something else.  

“So, yesterday I learned that Kurt’s 18th birthday is in about a month.  I want to do something special for him. What do you think? Anyone have any ideas?”  

“Hmm… How big of a ‘something special’ are we talking?” Jeff asked.

“Mm, doesn’t really matter.  I have the means for whatever.  It just needs to be something special.  I have a few ideas, but I’m not sure what direction to go with yet.”  Sebastian answered.

“Let us think about it, and we’ll get back to you.”  Nick said, and Trent and Thad agreed.

Jeff kept looking at Sebastian.  Like, _really_ looking at him.  Then suddenly he blurted out, in true Jeff fashion, “You slept with Kurtsie!”

Everyone froze and looked Sebastian.

Sebastian’s eyes widened, and he looked around at everyone.  He gave himself a second to compose himself. “I’ve slept with Kurt a few times now. You know that.”

“No, no.  I mean you had _sex_ with Kurt.”

“What makes you think that?” He said as tried to play it cool.  

“You look different.”  Jeff smirked.

“How do I look different?”

“Hmm.... You’re kind of glowing.  You look happier, if that’s even possible.”  Jeff grinned.

“Well, I….” Sebastian sighed.  “I don’t think that’s a topic that’s up for discussion.”

“Okay.  We don’t have to discuss it,”  Jeff giggled, “but you totally just admitted to it.”

Sebastian just blushed and shook his head, smiling ear to ear… Just like everyone else sitting at the table.

 

Later that evening Kurt called Sebastian.

“Hey Babe.”

“Hi.  How was your day?”

“Fine, but, uh, apparently I’m glowing, so I think the cat’s out of the bag.”  Sebastian and Kurt both laughed.

“Yeah, apparently I have the same glow.  I didn’t even get to my first class before Noah and Sugar called me out on it.”

“Wow.  At least I made it to lunch!”  They both chuckled.

 

……………

 

Wednesday had become the boy’s mid-week coffee date norm, and this Wednesday was no different.  Sebastian picked Kurt up from Cheerio practice, and they headed to Lima Bean. Sitting in ‘their’ spot on the couch, Sebastian stared at Kurt as Kurt was looking at the fire in the fireplace, sipping his coffee.  He pulled out his phone and snapped a quick picture.

“What was that?  Did you take a picture?”  Kurt asked.

“Yep.  It’s becoming a Wednesday tradition for us to be here, and my view is unbeatable.  I’m sure the image of you sitting there looking amazing in your Cheerio’s uniform, sipping your coffee, will forever be ingrained in my memory.  But, just in case I forget when we’re old and senile, I want photographic evidence.” Sebastian grinned and took a sip of his coffee.

Kurt smiled and shook his head.  “You’re ridiculous. But I love you.”

“I love you, too.”  Sebastian said as he laid his hand on Kurt’s knee.

 

Kurt’s phone rang a little while later.  “Huh, it’s Dad. That’s odd.” Burt knew where Kurt was, so if must be something important, and that made Kurt worry.  “Dad? Is everything okay?” Kurt answered.

“Hey, bud.  I’m sorry to interrupt your coffee date with Sebastian, but I just got a phone call from the lawyer’s office.  I’d like both of you to come home. Seb can stay for dinner.”

“Okay.  We’ll be there soon.”

“Alright, see ya soon.”  Burt said before hanging up.

Kurt looked at Sebastian, who had been watching carefully, and said, “The lawyers called.  Dad wants us both to come home. You can stay for dinner if you have time.”

“Sure.”  He grabbed Kurt’s hand.  “We can do this, Kurt. It’s all going to be okay.”  He knew Kurt would be worrying already.

“Okay.”  Kurt took a deep breath and they made their way home.

 

When they got back to the Hummel-Hudson home, Burt was in the living room with Carol, Finn, and Sam.  They had left enough space on the couch for Kurt and Sebastian, so they made themselves comfortable as soon as they came in.  Kurt grabbed Sebastian’s hand and took another deep breath.

Burt cleared his throat and said, “Well boys, our lawyer says the court date has been set.  November 18 is what they are counting on. I know that’s the Monday after Sectionals, so I hope that doesn’t cause too much of an issue.   They don’t think it will take more than a full day, so you’ll both probably need to take the entire day off school, since you’ll both be testifying.  There will likely be another day for the jury to deliberate, and then there could be a separate day for sentencing if Blaine is found guilty. Hopefully it’s the next day.  Kurt, if you need to take off school for any of those days, that’s fine. I know it will be hard to concentrate.”

Everyone was just sitting there listening.  Kurt and Sebastian both sat there taking it all in until Burt stopped talking.  Once Burt finished, Sebastian wrapped his arm around Kurt and rubbed his back.

Sebastian asked, “Will Blaine be tried as an adult?”

“He will.”  Burt said with a slight grin.  Sebastian shook his head in relief.

“Okay.  Well, I guess that means this will all be over soon.  Hopefully.” Kurt sighed.

“Yeah, and so you both know, we’re here for both of you.  Whatever you need.” Finn said.

Kurt smiled softly at Finn and Sebastian said, “Thanks, Finn.”

“Is there anything we can do for you until then?  Anything to help ease your stress?” Carol asked.

“No.  Thank you.”  Kurt said quietly.

Sebastian looked at Burt and Burt nodded his head in understanding.  “Come on, Babe.” Sebastian said as he stood and extended a hand to Kurt.  

Kurt said nothing, but grabbed Seb’s hand and let him pull him along to his bedroom.

Once the boys were out of the room, Sam sighed and put his head in hands.  “God, I wish there was more we could do. I hate this.” Finn nodded in agreement.

“I know, Bud, but really, you guys have been great to Kurt.  He’s very lucky to have you both. Just keep doing what you’ve been doing.”  He sighed, “I’m not sure how he’s going to take this. If the stress is anything like when his mom died, we’re going to need to give him space when he needs it, but be there when he wants us.  We also need to keep an eye on his eating habits. I swear it took me weeks to get him to eat a proper meal after Elizabeth died.”

“Well then I better get started on dinner.  He’s skinny enough as it is, I won’t have him melting away on my watch.”  Carol said as she went into the kitchen.

 

Downstairs in Kurt’s bedroom, the boys laid snuggled together in Kurt’s bed.  Nothing was said for several minutes. Sebastian just tried to comfort Kurt by rubbing his back and placing kisses on his head.  Kurt would sigh or take a deep breath, and Sebastian would give him a little squeeze.

“Do you want to talk about it?”  Sebastian asked softly.

“Mmm…”  Kurt paused for a minute, and then finally said, “I’m just thinking of all the bullying and everything I went through.  There was never a consequence for any of them. Every one of them got away with it. Even when David threatened to kill me and was expelled, they let him right back in.”  Kurt sighed, “I just don’t want this to be the same way. I want Blaine to pay.”

Sebastian held on tight to Kurt, kissed his forehead, and said, “He will pay, Kurt.  You have the best lawyers and the evidence is strong. And even if he’s not found guilty, he’ll pay.”

Kurt made a face, “What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing, Babe.  It will be okay, one way or another.  I promise.” Sebastian leaned down and kissed Kurt softly on the lips.  One way or another, he would make sure Blaine regretted his actions for the rest of his life.

 

When the boys were called for dinner, they went upstairs to find that Carol had made one of Kurt’s favorite pasta dishes.  They all sat around the table which was a little more quiet than usual, considering there were four teenage boys at the table.

A few minutes into the meal, Sebastian noticed that Kurt wasn’t eating much.  He put down his fork and stopped eating his own food, pushed Kurt’s plate a little closer to him, and in a low voice, simply said, “Eat.”

Kurt’s eyes snapped up to Sebastian. He knew that tone.

Burt was carefully watching the exchange.

Kurt just looked at Sebastian.  Sebastian looked right back at him, unwavering.  He looked down and gestured to the plate of food, and back up to meet Kurt’s eyes again.  “Eat, Kurt.”

Kurt let out a small sigh and slowly began to eat a little.  Sebastian waited until Kurt was eating before returning to his own food.  

Burt was impressed that Sebastian noticed Kurt’s lack of eating, as well as the fact the Sebastian got Kurt to eat anything at all.  

 

At the end of the evening when Kurt walked Sebastian to his car, Sebastian grabbed both of Kurt’s hands in his own.    
“Kurt, you have to promise me something.”

“What?”  Kurt had still been pretty quiet the rest of the evening.  Sebastian was worried, but he understood that all of this could be overwhelming.

“I need you to eat,”  Sebastian said as he pulled Kurt closer and wrapped his arms around him.  “I’m assuming you don’t eat when you get upset or stressed?  Is that what that was all about at dinner?”

Kurt nodded ‘yes’, but could only look down, not meeting Sebastian’s eyes.

“Look at me, Babe.”  Sebastian said. Kurt took a deep breath in and looked up to look Sebastian in the eyes.  “I understand, but it’s not okay.” He caressed Kurt’s face, “You have to eat to remain healthy.  He already tried to control you and your body once. If you let the stress of him keep you from being healthy,  it will be like you letting him control you again. Please tell me you’ll eat.”

Kurt looked away from Sebastian and didn’t say anything.  His eyes began to tear.

“Kurt, look at me,” Sebastian said. He patiently waited the several seconds it took Kurt to look at him again.  “I already worry about you so much. I don’t want to worry about if you are shriveling away to nothing.”  A tear ran down Kurt’s face.  Sebastian wiped it away. “I love you, and I love your body. I want you healthy, Baby. Please.”

Kurt nodded, “Okay,” he replied in a small, quiet voice.

Sebastian kissed Kurt softly on the lips, “Thank you.”

 

When Sebastian got back to Dalton, he texted Finn and Sam.

**From Sebastian:**

Can you guys make sure Kurt eats?  I have a feeling that is going to be an issue.

**From Sam:**

Yeah, Burt said he was like that when he's stressed or upset.  We'll keep an eye on him.

 

………….

 

Friday night in the locker room before the game, Sam went up to Kurt and handed him a power bar.

“What is this?”  Kurt asked.

“It’s a power bar.  Eat it.” Sam said.

“I’m not hungry, Sam.  Thank you.”  Kurt tried to hand it back, but Sam wouldn't take it.

“I didn’t ask if you were hungry.”  Sam said as he looked at Kurt. He refused to look away.

Kurt rolled his eyes.  “Did Sebastian tell you to give this to me?”

Sam refused to look away.  “Eat it.”

“I ate already.”

“Liar.  I live with you, Dude.  You didn’t eat at home, you didn’t go out, and you haven’t eaten since we got here.  And you barely ate breakfast or lunch. You are going to need the energy for tonight.  Now eat.”

Finn and Puck walked up behind Sam and stood and watched.

“What, I have to eat while you guys all watch me?  I don’t need babysitters!” Kurt snapped.

“We care about you, Princess.  We wouldn’t have to stand here and make sure you ate if you actually did it yourself.”  Puck crossed his arms and glared at Kurt.

“Come on, Dude.”  Finn begged.

Kurt slammed his locker shut and stormed out of the locker room, only to find one aggravated boyfriend crossing his arms as he was leaning up against the wall in the hallway.  Kurt paused when he saw him.  Sebastian kicked himself up off the wall and walked over to Kurt.

“You didn’t eat much yesterday or today.”

“How do you know?  Are you spying on me now?”  Kurt snapped.

“Listen to yourself, Kurt.  You never talk to me like that.  You’re tired and frustrated because of the lack of eating.  You need fuel for your body.”

Kurt looked down, slightly ashamed, but still extremely frustrated that they wouldn’t leave him alone.  “I’m sorry, but you are all acting like I can’t take of myself!”

“Maybe you can’t!”  Sebastian raised his voice a bit as he was losing his patience.  “Nobody expects you to, Kurt. You have done an amazing job of taking care of yourself and your dad for years.  But sometimes, when things get tough, you have to surrender to the fact that maybe you do need some help. You promised me you would eat.  And if you aren’t going to keep that promise, then the rest of us are going to be a pain in the ass until you do!”

Both boys were too focused on each other and getting their points across to realize that Coach Sylvester had entered the hallway.  She had seen most of the exchange. She cleared her throat, “Porcelain. Do I understand correctly that you have not been eating?”

Kurt snapped up, eyes wide, and looked Coach.  He didn’t answer her.

She walked up to him and got right in his face.  “You are not to come out onto that field until you have eaten something.  No Cheerio of mine is going to pass out and make a fool out me in front of everyone.”  She turned on her heels and marched down an adjoining hallway.

Sebastian looked at Kurt, grabbed his hand, and pulled him down the hall toward nook that would give them some privacy.  Using a low voice, Sebastian looked Kurt in the eye, and enunciate every syllable as he said, “Eat the bar, Kurt.”

Kurt looked down.  There was that tone again.  “Yes, Sebastian.”

Kurt sat on the floor and ate the bar, while Sebastian went down the hall to vending machine to get Kurt a bottle of water. When he returned, he handed the water to him as he sat without saying a word.  After a few minutes, Sebastian said, “Thank you for eating, Kurt.”

Kurt just nodded, and looked down at his lap.  Having Sebastian appreciate that he was eating made him feel good. After he finished the bar and a good deal of water, he looked at Sebastian.  “I’m sorry.” Sebastian turned to look at him. “I’m sorry that I didn’t keep my promise.” He sighed and added, “And I’m sorry that I...I’m just...sorry.”

Sebastian pulled him over into his lap and hugged him.  “I know, Babe. I just need you to try harder. We are all here for you.  Whether you like it or not.”

“I know.  I appreciate it.  I’m just… It’s hard.”  Kurt said as he laid his head on Seb’s shoulder.

“I know.”  Sebastian said as he rubbed Kurt’s back.

 

Kurt and Sebastian walked out into the football stadium together.  Kurt entered the gate to the field. Coach looked at Sebastian and he nodded to her.  She grinned and nodded back. _I think I may actually have her approval now,_ Seb thought.  

He walked up and joined Sugar in the student section.  “Did he eat, Seb?”

“He fought it, but yes.  He ate.”

Sugar rubbed Sebastian’s back and whispered, “He needs you, Seb.  You’re doing a great job.”

Sebastian gave a small sad smile, “I hope so, Sugar.”

 

……………

 

The next week brought much of the normal routine, with the exception of a lot of extra practices for Sectionals for both New Directions and the Warblers.  The boys still managed to see each other as often as possible. Kurt was doing better with his eating. Not great, but better.

The Saturday of Sectionals came and Kurt was nervous.  He had a solo, and it was going to be very emotional, as were the other songs they were singing.  They were not competing against the Warblers, but the Warblers competition was in the same building later that day.  Many Warblers came with Sebastian to cheer Kurt and his friend on. Sebastian’s parents sat with Kurt’s parents, and Leah sat with Sebastian and his friends in front of them.   Sebastian sent Kurt a quick text while Kurt was in the green room.

**From Sebastian:**

You’ve got this, Babe.  Good luck! I love you!

**From Kurt:**

Thanks, Bas.  Our first song is for you.  I love you too!

 

When the MC announced New Directions, the Warblers cheered the loudest.  Sebastian immediately froze and stared at his boyfriend as he was in the spotlight as he took the lead.   _He was born to be in the spotlight,_ he thought.  When Kurt began to sing ‘[Flashlight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzwkcbTQ7ZE)’ by Jessie J, Sebastian got chills.  

 

_When tomorrow comes_

_I'll be on my own_

_Feeling frightened of_

_The things that I don't know_

_When tomorrow comes_

_Tomorrow comes_

_Tomorrow comes_

_And though the road is long_

_I look up to the sky_

_And in the dark I found,_

_I lost hope that I won't fly_

_And I sing along, I sing along_

_And I sing along_

_I got all I need when I got you and I_

_I look around me, and see a sweet life_

_I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight_

_You're getting me, getting me through the night_

_Kickstart my heart when you shine it in my eyes_

_Can't lie, it's a sweet life_

_I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight_

_You're getting me, getting me through the night_

_'Cause you're my flashlight (flashlight)_

_You're my flashlight (flashlight)_

_You're my flashlight_

_I see the shadows long beneath the mountain top_

_I'm not afraid when the rain won't stop_

_'Cause you light the way_

_You light the way, you light the way_

_I got all I need when I got you and I_

_I look around me, and see a sweet life_

_I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight_

_You're getting me, getting me through the night_

_Kickstart my heart when you shine it in my eyes_

_I can't lie, it's a sweet life_

_I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight_

_You're getting me, getting me through the night_

_(Light light light you're my flashlight, light, light)_

_Light light you're my flashlight_

_Light light light light light, oh_

_(Light light light you're my flashlight, light, light)_

_You're my flash, oh_

_I got all I need when I got you and I_

_I look around me, and see a sweet life_

_I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight_

_You're getting me, getting me through the night_

_Can't stop my heart when you shinin' in my eyes_

_I can't lie, it's a sweet life_

_I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight_

_(You're my flashlight)_

_You're getting me, getting me through the night_

_'Cause you're my flashlight_

_'Cause you're my flashlight_

_You're my flashlight_

_You're my flashlight_

_Light light_

_You're my flashlight_

_Light light ye-yeah_

_You're my flashlight_

 

Leah grabbed Sebastian's hand squeezed it.  She winked at him, knowing that was for him.  Sebastian wiped away a tear or two.

Burt sat behind him and smiled.  He was so happy that Kurt had someone who stuck with him through all of this.  Someone who truly loved him. Someone deserving of his boy.

 

The next song ND performed was ‘[Rise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdw1uKiTI5c) _’_ by Katy Perry.  Kurt, Santana, and Rachel took turns singing different lines from the song.  They were all at different sections of the stage and the rest of the New Directions were on the risers doing a more subtle dance as Brittany and Mike did a dramatic dance in the front of the stage.  It was truly breathtaking.

The final song they performed was _‘[Fighter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PstrAfoMKlc) _’ by Christina Aguilera, with Mercedes and Santana on leads. They knocked it out of the park.

When the performance was over, all of New Directions gathered around Kurt and gave him hugs and praise for a job well done.  But there was more than just congratulations on a good performance. They all knew the meaning of those songs. They were meant to give Kurt strength for the next few days that he was about to face.  He could feel their love and support, and he was so grateful for it.

New Directions were announced the winners, and the Warblers went crazy in the audience.  Kurt just beamed as he watched his friends cheer him on.

In the lobby, Sebastian found Kurt immediately and swept him up in a huge hug as he twirled him around.  “You were amazing, Babe! Congratulations!”

Kurt giggled, “Thanks, Bas!”  He kissed Sebastian on the cheek as he set him down.

Burt pulled Kurt into a hug and congratulated him, and then did the same to Finn and Sam.  Sebastian’s family congratulated Kurt as well.

“Thank you so much for coming.  I didn’t realize you would be here early enough to see me perform.”

“Of course, Dear.  I wouldn’t miss getting to hear you sing in person.  You were fantastic!”  Tori gushed.

Kurt blushed, “Thank you.”

“Really, Kurt.  That was amazing.  You’ve got quite a set of pipes on you.”

“Thanks, Robert.”  Kurt smiled.

Leah came running up and gave Kurt a huge hug.  “You were amazing… Just like I knew you would be!”

Kurt and Sebastian both laughed.  “Thanks, Leah.” Kurt smiled and hugged her back.  

Mr. Schuester walked up and clapped Kurt on the shoulder then pulled him into a hug.  “You were amazing, Kurt. I’m so proud of you. I wish I would have given you a solo long ago.”

“Thanks, Mr. Schue.”  He smiled. “At least I finally got one.”  Kurt winked at him.

“Yeah, well, I doubt it will be your last.”  Mr. Schuester smiled.

Once the Warblers gave their congratulations as well, everyone decided to go grab some lunch before most of them returned to the school for then next round of performances that included the Warblers.  

Sebastian was very pleased with how well Kurt ate. Kurt looked over at Sebastian who was staring at him.  “What?”

Sebastian smirked, “I’m just glad you’re eating.  It makes me happy.” He reached over squeezed Kurt’s hand.  Kurt smiled back.

 

When they returned to the school, the Warblers said a temporary goodbye to Kurt and his friends before heading back to the green room.  Sebastian gave Kurt a long hug and kiss. He put his hands on Kurt’s cheeks, looked into his eyes, and said, “Our entire set list is for you, Babe.  I hope you can feel the love in it, and draw strength from it. I love you so much.”

Kurt had tears in his eyes, “Bas…”  He kissed him again and a tear fell.  

“Just watch and enjoy, Babe.”  Sebastian smiled. He kissed him on the cheek quick and jogged off to catch up with the rest of the Warblers.  

When Kurt turned around, he saw everyone watching.  He blushed a bit. Carol, Tori, Leah, and Sugar all had heart eyes.  The men were all grinning. Everyone could feel the love between the boys.  

 

The Warblers were already in place on stage when they were announced, and they opened their set list with ‘[Keep Holding On](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2u3i2ba_ME) _’_ by Avril Lavigne. Trent, Nick, and Jeff did the main vocals.  Kurt was so touched, and he sat and let the tears silently fall.  He was sitting in between Sugar and Leah, and both held one of his hands.  

The second song of their set list was ‘[It’s Not Over Yet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmTmTMcdxOs)’ by King and Country.  Sebastian shared the main vocals with Thad on this one.  Kurt had never heard this song before, but he loved it, and thought it was a beautifully appropriate.

The final song of the set list was ‘[The Comeback’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvr64VsNT-s) by Danny Gokey.  This was a solo for Sebastian, with the Warblers harmonizing in the background.  Kurt hung on every word.

 

_After a season of night falls and push backs_

_After the heartache of wrong turns and sidetracks_

_Just when they think they've got you game set match_

_Here comes the comeback_

_Just cause you lay low got up slow unsteady_

_Don't mean you blacked out or bought out you're ready_

_Just when they think there's nothing left running on empty_

_Here comes the comeback_

_This is your time your moment_

_The fire the fight your golden_

_You've come so far keep going_

_Oh here comes the comeback_

_You feel the lightning the thunder you're soul shakes_

_Under the roar of the heaven the tide breaks_

_And from the ashes you will take your place_

_Here comes the comeback_

_This is your time your moment_

_The fire the fight you're golden_

_You've come so far keep going_

_Oh here comes the comeback_

_There is no mountain you can't face_

_There is no giant you can't take_

_All of your tears were not a waste_

_Your one step away_

_Just when they think they've got you game set match_

_Oh here comes the comeback_

_This is your time your moment_

_The fire the fight or golden_

_You've come so far keep going_

_Oh here comes the comeback_

_Your comeback_

_Your comeback_

_Oh oh_

_Your comeback_

_Your comeback_

_Oh oh oh_

_Here comes the comeback_

 

Everyone was on their feet and cheering at the end of the set list.  Sebastian found Kurt in the audience and winked at him. Kurt and Sebastian’s parents were beaming with pride, both because of the boy’s performances, as well as their obvious love and devotion to each other.  

The Warblers announced the winners and everyone was beyond thrilled.  Out in the lobby, the Warblers gathered around Kurt, and gave him their love.  They told him they would be thinking about him, and praying for him. He didn’t really believe in God, but he would take what he could get. He thanked them all before they left.

The Hummel-Hudson family and the Smythe family decided to head to dinner.  They enjoyed their time together, and the boy's appreciated that their families were getting to know each other.  Burt and Robert were at the opposite end of the table from Sebastian and Kurt. 

Robert leaned over and quietly whispered, "If there is anything we can do during the trial, please let us know.  We will be there, but just shout if you need something.  Kurt is part of our family now, and we'll do anything he needs."

Burt was truly touched.  "I appreciate that, Robert.  We feel the same way about Sebastian.  I honestly could not have imagined someone more perfect for Kurt.  Kurt is lucky to have him.  He's a great guy."

Robert smiled.  "I think our wives were right.  We'll probably be in each other's lives forever.  I don't see this being anything but end-game for them."

Burt smiled.  He knew Robert was right.  Sometimes you could just tell.  

Burt looked back at Robert.  "There is one thing, Robert.  I'd like Sebastian to spend the night tomorrow night.  He can get Kurt to eat better than any of us, and I have a feeling Kurt could use the comfort of his boyfriend.  They could probably use each other's comfort.  It will be hard on Seb too."

"Absolutely.  As long it's what the boy's want, I'm all for it."


	21. The Trial Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt gets his day in court. Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to stop when writing when I reached 22.5 pages. My fingers hurt. Gotta split this one into two. Not sure if the next chapter will be longer or super short at this point. I'd like to remind everyone that I am not a lawyer and I'm not even sure about how this all would work in the real world. Just remember that you are reading the "show in my head" lol.  
> Enjoy... And as always, Kudos and Comments are welcome!

 

After dinner Sunday night, Kurt and Sebastian made their way down to Kurt’s bedroom.  Kurt sat on the edge of the bed in silence, looking at the ground. Sebastian put his bag on the chair in the corner, and went to sit next to Kurt.

“Thank you for eating tonight, Kurt.  I could tell you didn’t want to.”

“No, I didn’t.  I’m afraid I might throw it up, I’m so nervous.”  Kurt said quietly.

Sebastian rubbed his back, but did not say anything in return for a few minutes.  He crawled on the bed behind Kurt, and began giving him a shoulder massage.

“Mmm, that feels good.”  Kurt breathed.

Sebastian bent down and kissed him on the cheek.  “Why don’t you go take a shower, and I’ll give you a massage to help you fall asleep.”

Kurt turned and kissed Sebastian softly on the lips.  “I’m so glad you’re here tonight. I think we have the best parents in the world, ya know?  They’ve been very accepting and understanding. If they hadn’t let you stay here tonight, I would probably go insane.”  Kurt stood and turned toward Sebastian who was still kneeling on the bed. He wrapped his arms around Seb’s shoulders and kissed him again.  “I love you.”

“I love you too, Babe.” Sebastian grinned, grabbing onto Kurt’s waist.  “More than anything in the world.”

Kurt smiled a small smile back at him, and then turned to go to the shower.  

“I’m going to shower upstairs.  I’ll be back in a bit.” Sebastian said to Kurt through the door.

 

When Sebastian came back downstairs, Kurt was laying in bed on his stomach, only wearing a pair of boxer briefs.  He had to pause for a second and take in the beauty of his boyfriend. He really was stunning.

“God, Babe, you are so gorgeous.”  Sebastian said as walked over put his hand on Kurt’s back as he sat next to him.  

He was pretty sure he heard a muffled “Thank you.” come from Kurt’s direction.  He chuckled to himself.

He reached for the lotion on Kurt’s vanity.  “Is it okay if I use this lotion on your back?”

Kurt peeked up to see what lotion he had and then nodded his head ‘yes’.

“Okay, then just relax.”  Sebastian straddled Kurt’s waist and added lotion to his hands.  He began rubbing and massaging Kurt’s shoulders, trying his best to work out the knots that he found.  He worked his way down Kurt’s back. He loved how soft Kurt's skin always was. He felt like Heaven.

When he was finished, Kurt was very groggy.  Sebastian rubbed the remainder of the lotion into his hands and crawled next to Kurt, covering them both with the blankets.  He laid on his side, and gently stroked Kurt’s back.

Kurt turned his head toward Sebastian and whispered, “Can you sing to me?  Please?”

“Of course.  Any special requests?”  Sebastian asked.

Kurt shook his head ‘no’ as he rolled onto his side, so that Sebastian could spoon him.  Sebastian scooted up as close as he could to Kurt, pressing his bare chest against Kurt’s back.  He softly began to sing ‘ _[You’re Gonna To Be Okay ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjF9IqvXDjY)_’ by Jen Johnson as he rubbed Kurt’s arm.

_I know it's all you've got to just be strong_

_And it's a fight just to keep it together_

_I know you think that you are too far gone_

_But hope is never lost_

_Hope is never lost_

_Hold on, don't let go,_ Sebastian ran his hand down Kurt’s arm and entangled their fingers together.

_Hold on, don't let go_

_Just take one step closer_

_Put one foot in front of the other_

_You'll get through this_

_Just follow the light in the darkness_

_You're gonna be ok_

_I know your heart is heavy from those nights_

_But just remember that you are a fighter_

_You never know just what tomorrow holds_

_And you're stronger than you know_

_You're stronger than you know_

_Hold on, don't let go_

_Hold on, don't let go_

_Just take one step closer_

_Put one foot in front of the other_

_You'll get through this_

_Just follow the light in the darkness_

_You're gonna be ok_

_Just take one step closer_

_Put one foot in front of the other_

_You'll get through this_

_Just follow the light in the darkness_

_You're gonna be ok_

_And when the night is closing in_

_Don't give up and don't give in_

_This won't last, it's not the end_

_It's not the end_

_You're gonna be ok._

Sebastian kissed Kurt on the head, but neither boy said anything else.  They just held on to each other until they eventually fell asleep at some point in the middle of the night.  

…………….

Monday morning Kurt and Sebastian were getting ready to go.  Both boys wore nice dress pants, belts, and dress shirts. They wanted to look presentable, but not too dressed up.  Sebastian walked over to Kurt as he was buttoning his shirt in silence, and said, “Babe, I need you to eat something this morning, okay?  It doesn’t have to be a lot. But you need something on your stomach. We won’t know how long it will be until we get a chance to eat again.”  He put his hand on Kurt’s shoulder.

“Okay.”  Kurt nodded.

“Thank you, Baby.”  Sebastian said before kissing Kurt on the temple.  

 

Once they arrived at the courthouse, Kurt and Sebastian took a few minutes to be alone before entering the courtroom.  Everyone else had already entered. Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s back as Kurt laid his head on Sebastian's shoulder.  
“I don’t know if I can do this.  I don’t want to see him again. I can tell people what happened.  I can let them see the pictures. But I don’t want to see him again.”  A tear fell from Kurt’s cheek.

“I know, Babe.  I know you don’t want to.  But it’s the price we pay for making _him_ pay for what he’s done.  You are the strongest man I’ve ever known, Kurt.  I know you can do this. I will be there with you the whole time.  So will the rest of your family.”

Kurt took a deep breath trying to find any strength he had left, and said, “Okay.  Let’s do this.”

They turned and walked hand in hand into the courtroom.  The plaintiff’s side was filled with everyone Kurt considered family.  His dad was seated next to their lawyer, Mr. Edwards, at the table. In the first row, sat Carol, Finn, and Sam.  Next to them were Robert and Tori, with space for Sebastian. Although Leah wanted to be there, her parents insisted that she stay at school, and promised to update her as often as they could.

Behind them in the second row were Nick and Jeff, who were also testifying.  To Kurt and Sebastian’s surprise, Puck and Sugar were there as well. Vinny thought it was important that Sugar be there to support Kurt if he needed it.  And of course, Puck wouldn’t let his girl, or his best friend, go through this without him. He didn’t need permission to skip school… He’s Puck.

Seated behind Puck and Sugar, were Mr. Schuester and Coach Sylvester.  They had taken personal days off work to be there. This surprised Kurt and Sebastian the most, but it was not an unwelcome surprise.  They were glad to have the support of other adults besides their parents.

When Sebastian realized that Kurt would have to walk next to Blaine and his family, he quickly switched sides with Kurt as they walked so that he would be between them.  The gesture did not go unnoticed by those in the room. Especially Burt.

The defendant’s side of the room consisted of fewer people.  Blaine, Mr. Anderson, and their lawyer, Mr. Lewis sat at the table.  Seated behind them were Mrs. Anderson and Cooper Anderson.

Kurt tried not to look.  He really did. But somehow, his eyes found Blaine, who was sitting with his back to them as they walked down the aisle.  His hair was not gelled, and he sat slumped over in a suit. Within seconds of seeing him, Kurt began to shake. Sebastian gripped him a little tighter.  Kurt began to walk slower, and tears filled his eyes.

“I’ve got you, Kurt.  You can do this.” Sebastian whispered in his ear.  “Try not to look at him. Focus on your family. They’re all here because they love and support you.”

Kurt nodded his head and tried to keep walking.  Burt stood up and grabbed Kurt when they got to the end of the aisle.  Kurt wouldn’t let go of Sebastian.

“I’ll be right behind you the whole time, Kurt.  I promise.” Sebastian leaned over and kissed Kurt on the cheek.  

Burt had wrapped his arm around Kurt to try to support him.  Kurt let go of Sebastian and quickly grabbed on to his dad. “I’ve got you, Bud.  Let’s sit down.”

Blaine was watching the whole exchange with a glare.  He hated that Kurt and Sebastian were now a couple. Cooper had told him all about it.  He was furious. Kurt was supposed to be his. He also hated that Kurt had so many people there with him.   

Puck watched Blaine like a hawk.  He hated the way he was looking at Kurt and Sebastian.  If he wouldn’t get in trouble, he’d be jumping over that banister and beat the hobbit into a dust.  Puck looked in front of him and notices Finn and Sam must be feeling the same way, since they weren’t taking their eyes off Blaine.  Puck figured if he was found innocent, he would still have to pay.

Soon, the jury filed in.  They sat and looked at both Kurt and Blaine. Kurt wanted to shrink into his seat.  He was already feeling judged. Burt put his hand on Kurt’s shoulder and gave a squeeze of support.  Kurt took a deep breath in, willing himself to regain control of his emotions.

Judge Rosen walked in and everyone stood.  She was a middle aged woman with red hair. She had a no nonsense air about her, and Kurt was instantly intimidated.  Mr. Edwards turned and gave a quick grin to Robert. Having Judge Rosen on the case was a good thing. She was known to be no nonsense, but she also did not take kindly to sexual assault and was known as a big supporter of LGBTQ rights. Sebastian noticed the grin exchange and was relieved.  

The trial was underway and Kurt was called to the stand.  He stood and walked to the stand, trying his best not to throw up from nerves, pass out, or just plain turn and run away.   He took the oath, and then Mr. Edwards began to ask him questions.

“Kurt, can you tell us how you met Blaine Anderson?”

“I met Blaine on my first day at Dalton Academy.  I was lost, and asked him for directions to my first class.”  Blaine smirked at the memory, but Kurt refused to look at him.

“Tell us about your relationship with Blaine, all the way up until the night at Scandals.”

“Umm, we became friends after he showed me to class.  We started eating lunch together that week, and he told me about the Dalton Warblers.  I sing, so I auditioned and got in. He was also a Warbler, so we saw each other pretty often at that point.  After a couple of months, Blaine asked me to be his boyfriend and I agreed. I liked Blaine. I had never had a boyfriend.  I was the only out gay kid at my old school.

But soon, he didn’t like when I would spend time with other friends that I had made.  In fact the two friends that I’m closest to from Dalton today, are only my friends because one of them was my roommate, and the other was his boyfriend.  That’s the only reason I was able to spend time with them.”

“Did Blaine tell you that you couldn’t spend time with anyone?”

“Not in those words, no.  But he would throw a fit if he found out I was spending time with other guys, whether they were gay or not. At first he didn’t mind when I would spend time with my girl friends, but eventually, even that would send him over the edge.”

“What do you mean by ‘over the edge’?”

“It depended on the situation.  Sometimes he would whine and tell me that I was supposed to spend my free time with him, and only him, since we were boyfriends.  He would continue until I agreed. Sometimes, he would yell, and tell me that I was a bad boyfriend for neglecting him.”

“All because you spent time with friends?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Can you give us an example?”

“My girl friends from McKinley and I would have sleepovers.  I went to my friend Sugar’s house one weekend for a sleepover, and when I returned to Dalton the next Monday, Blaine wouldn’t talk to me.  When he did talk to me, he accused me of being bisexual and having an affair.”

“Are you bisexual, Kurt?”

“No, sir.  I’m gay.”

Sugar was shocked at this.  She had no idea any of that had happened.  That explained why she saw less and less of her Angel.  Puck reached over and squeezed her hand, then put his arm around her.  

“Did you stop going to the sleepovers after that?”

“Not completely.  But I did try to make sure if I went to any, they would be on a weekend that Blaine already had plans.”

“Do you still attend Dalton Academy?”

“No, sir.  I transferred back to McKinley.”

“Why is that?”

“Mostly because I missed my friends.  I needed space away from Blaine. I told him it was because it was too expensive, which it is expensive, but that wasn’t the main motivation.  I had also had a bully when I was at McKinley before, who had transferred to another school, so I felt safe returning.”

“I see. I know this may be uncomfortable for you, but can you tell us about your sexual relationship with Blaine?”

Kurt shifted in his seat and took a deep breath.  “We kissed.”

“You kissed.  Is that it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And how long were you and Blaine together as boyfriends?”

“Nine months, sir.”

“And you only kissed?  Is there a reason for that?”

“Well, sir, I didn’t think Blaine found me attractive.  He told me that I had the sex appeal of a baby penguin, and that there was a reason for masturbation.”  Kurt blushed.

“So, Kurt, was the night at Scandals that first time that Blaine ever tried anything other than kissing?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Can you walk us through what exactly happened that night?  I want you to give as much detail as you can.”

Kurt began to shake.  He took a deep breath, and nodded his head ‘yes’.  

“Some of us decided to go to a gay bar called Scandals.  It’s nice to go somewhere where you feel like you can be yourself.  Especially in small town Ohio. They have karaoke on Saturday nights, and all of us sing, so we thought we would go and sing and dance and have some fun.”

Mr. Edwards interrupted, “Can you tell us who ‘we’ is that you are referring to?”

“Oh, yes, sorry.  It was myself, Sebastian, Nick, Jeff, and Blaine.”  Everyone noticed how Kurt listed himself and Blaine furthest apart, and Sebastian right after himself.  “We met there at Scandals. We all took turns singing and dancing. We were having a good time. None of us drank, except for Blaine.  I don’t know how many beers he had, but he was drunk, and acting pretty sloppy. So I decided that I would leave the other guys there, and take Blaine home.  We said our goodbyes, and headed toward the door.

I remember he called me ‘cute’ and told me that he loved me.  When we got outside, he stopped, grabbed my face with both hands, pretty hard, and kissed me even harder.  I remember him smelling awful. I told him that he smelled, and was drunk, and that I wasn’t in the mood because of that. I was really aggravated with him and  I didn’t like how rough he had gotten all the sudden. I had my arm around his waist, supporting him as we walked to my Navigator.

When we got to my car, he pushed me up against the door and started kissing me very forcefully.  I kept trying to get out of his grip, but he would just shove me back against the car and kiss me even harder.  I told him ‘no’ or ‘stop’ over and over. I even yelled it.

That’s when he got mad and started yelling at me.  He told me I was a prude and was always saying ‘no’, which isn’t true, because we never did anything for me to say ‘no’ to.  He told me he was a teenage boy and had needs. I told him I am a teenage boy too, and that he must only want me when he’s drunk.  I opened the door to the back seat and told him to get in so we could get him home.

He… he got this look on his face.  He was angry. He shoved me in the back seat and climbed on top of me and pinned my hands above my head.”

Sebastian was trying with every ounce of strength he had to not pummel Blaine.  Every person on the Kurt’s side of the room felt the same way. Tori was watching Seb.  She knew how hard this must be for him to hear. She rubbed his back, trying to comfort him.  

Sugar was already crying.  Puck was holding her, trying to make her feel better, while also trying not to attack Blaine right along side of Sebastian. Finn and Sam were in the same boat. Nick was torn between killing Blaine and comforting Jeff.

Burt and Carol both had tears running down their cheeks.  Burt hated that his baby boy had to go through any of this, and what was worse, was that he knew the story was just getting started.

Kurt continued, “I yelled ‘no’ and told him to stop and let me up.  He… He actually smiled at me, and told me he was tired of waiting on me, and tired of me being a bitch all the time.  He told me he was going to take what he deserved.”

Kurt started to cry, and Sebastian wanted to run to him and hold him.  Most of Kurt’s family were in tears. Coach was ready for blood, and Mr. Schuester had to put his hand on her leg to keep her from standing up and storming toward Blaine.  She regained control better than Mr. Schue expected.

“You’re doing a good job, Kurt.”  Mr. Edwards handed him a box of tissues, “Please, try to continue.”

Kurt dried his eyes, and took a deep breath, “I kept yelling ‘no’ and for him to stop and get off of me, but he wouldn’t.   He was grinding up against me and trying to kiss me. I was kicking and squirming, trying to get free. Finally, I head-butted him as hard as I could.  I broke his nose, apparently. He got off of me and got out of the car. He was yelling at me for doing that, but I didn’t care.

I tried to run past him, so I could go back inside to my friends, but he grabbed my arm and yanked me back against the car.  He had me pinned with my front against the car, and my arms being held behind my back. He kept grinding up against me. I kept telling him to stop, but he just said, ‘You know you want it.  Stop fighting it.’

He kept grabbing my crotch and kissing my neck.  Somehow I managed to turn around, but he didn’t stop.  I kept telling him ‘no’.” More tears fell as Kurt continued his story. “And… And then…. Then he punched me.  I don’t know how many times. I blacked out, and fell to the ground. They think that’s how I got my concussion.  

When I woke up, I was on my back on the ground.  Blaine was on top of me. My shirt was ripped open, and my pants were unbuttoned and unzipped. Blaine… Blaine had his hand down my pants, grabbing my crotch. He kept trying to kiss me. I was so tired and weak.  I tried to get away, but everything was spinning. I was so dizzy. I told him to stop again and again. He got mad and starting yelling.  He said he was going to fuck my ass, and I was going to like it. He said he deserved it.”

Sebastian was having a hard time.  He bent over and put his head in his hands and then ran his fingers through his hair.  His mom rubbed his back, and then suddenly Sugar was there, and pulled him into a side hug.  He wrapped his arm around her as well and they held each other.

Kurt continued, “He was pulling my pants down, and then all the sudden he was gone.”  Kurt continued to let the tears fall. He looked at Sebastian. Sebastian gave him a small smile and nodded his head for him to continue.  “He wasn’t on me anymore. Once he was off of me, I couldn’t focus on where he had gone, or what was happening. I just remember feeling relief for a minute.  Sebastian had found us and gotten Blaine off of me. Sebastian was starting to pick me up when I saw Blaine come after him from behind. Apparently Sebastian saw the look on my face, and turned to see Blaine. Luckily, Sebastian was fast enough, and he punch Blaine.  He knocked him out… And he broke his hand doing it.

The next thing I know, Sebastian was holding me.  I remember our friends Nick and Jeff came out, as well as another guy, David.  Then the ambulances and the police. Then the hospital. Sebastian stayed with me the whole time.”

“Thank you, Kurt.  That is all from me for now.”  Mr. Edwards said.

Kurt nodded his head and then looked over at his dad and Sebastian.  He needed their strength. He knew he would have to do what he just did, but he wasn’t sure what Blaine's lawyer would be asking.  

Mr. Lewis stood up and walked toward Kurt as he buttoned his suit jacket.  Kurt swallowed down his fears and straightened himself in his seat.

Mr. Lewis started, “Kurt, you made it sound like you were not happy in your relationship with Blaine.  If you were so unhappy with Blaine, why did you stay with him for nine months?”

Kurt took a deep breath, “Well, it wasn’t nine months of bad.  There were okay times. But it got worse as time went on. I thought going back to McKinley would solve a lot of our issues.  Going back would have given me time with my friends, and then I could see him during non-school hours.”

“I see.  When you were at Scandals, were you a virgin?”

Kurt didn’t even blink, “Yes, sir.  As I said, we had only kissed, and Blaine was my first boyfriend.”

“Uh-huh, well, you don’t have to have a boyfriend to lose your virginity.  Are you a virgin now?”

Kurt blushed and he had a surprised look on his face.  And then it was as if the room became a slow motion film.

As Mr. Edwards was yelling “Objection!”, Blaine seemed to notice the blush on Kurt’s face, and knew what that meant.  He was pissed. How could Kurt give himself to someone else? He slammed his hand down on the table and started to stand.  He was glaring daggers at Kurt, and Kurt had a flashback to the night at Scandals. He was terrified.  He sat in his seat and shook, terror written all over his face.

Sebastian, Burt, Puck, Sam and Finn were on their feet.  As soon as Mr. Anderson grabbed Blaine and pulled him back down, the rest of Kurt’s family followed, and took their seats.  

“Sustained.”  Judge Rosen said.  “Watch yourself, Mr. Lewis.”  she looked at Blaine, “And you sir, had better watch it as well. I only have one bailiff, and there are an awful lot of people over there, who look like they would be more than happy to stop whatever shenanigans you try to pull.”

Blaine’s face was beet red.  He was furious.

Kurt, on the other hand, was still terrified and starting to have a panic attack.  His breathing was strained, and his eyes were watering.

Judge Rosen called for a recess so that Kurt could calm down.  The bailiff helped Kurt over toward his seat, and Burt met him halfway and took hold of him.  Sebastian was already on his feet, starting toward Kurt.

“B-Bas…”  Kurt whispered.

“He’s coming, Kiddo.  Breathe for me.” Burt said.

When Sebastian got closer, he looked at Burt, and Burt nodded.  Burt knew that Seb was who Kurt needed, but Sebastian didn’t want to overstep and get in the way of father and son.  It was another thing Burt greatly respected about Sebastian.

Sebastian wrapped his arms around Kurt, “I’ve got you, Baby.  I’ve got you. It’s okay.” He stroked Kurt’s back and arms. “I need you to take a deep breath.  Count to 10 slowly in your head.  Breathe, Kurt.”

Kurt started to breathe a little easier.  Just being with Sebastian calmed him.

“You’re doing a great job, Kurt. I’m so proud of you.”  Sebastian kissed his temple.

“He… He had that look again.”  Kurt said quietly. Sebastian had walked Kurt over to sit in one of the rows by Nick and Jeff, away from Blaine.  

“I know, Babe.  But I promise there is nothing he can do in here.”  Sebastian continued to hold him.

Everyone was squirming.  Puck was ready to pounce, and Sugar had to go calm him down.  Carol was consoling Burt, and Tori was trying to ease Finn and Sam back to calm.  Mr. Schuester was surprised at how calm Coach Sylvester was. It kind of worried him. Secretly, she was plotting revenge.

When the recess was over, Kurt had to return to the stand and was reminded that he was still under oath.  

Mr. Lewis continued, “Kurt, is it true that you danced with other people besides your boyfriend while at Scandals?”

“Yes, just as he did.”

“Just ‘yes’ or ‘no’ please, Kurt.”

“Yes.”  

“Is it true that you had agreed to go to Scandals with or without your boyfriend?”

“Yes.”

“No further questions.”

When Kurt returned to his seat, he leaned over and asked Mr. Edwards, “Why did they ask me those questions?  What does that matter?”

“They’re trying to show a couple of things.  That you would do things without Blaine, and you may not be so faithful, if you were dancing with others.  Look, Kurt, it’s a long shot. It’s all they have. Don’t take it personally. We all know the truth.”

Kurt shook his head and said, “Yeah, okay.”

 

Sebastian was next to take the stand.

Mr. Edwards began, "Sebastian, tell us how you know Blaine Anderson."

"He went to Dalton Academy and was in the Warblers with me.  I'm new there this year, so I only knew him for about a week."

"And how do you know Kurt Hummel?"

Sebastian smiled, "I met Kurt at Lima Bean.  He needed my help when his former bully came into the shop.  He sat with me, and once the guy was gone, we talked for a bit.  I found out later that he was friends with my roommate Nick, and his boyfriend, Jeff.  They told me he was Blaine's boyfriend, so we decided to all go out together for a night of fun.  A couple of weeks after the night at Scandals, Kurt and I became boyfriends."

“Sebastian tell us about the night you and your friends went to Scandals.”

“Well, myself, Nick, Jeff, and Blaine all rode together since we were coming from Westerville area.  We met Kurt there at 8 o’clock in the parking lot. We all sang and danced for hours together. We ran into someone Kurt knows, David, and he joined us for a bit.  Blaine had too much to drink, so Kurt decided he should take him home. They said goodbye to us and left.”

Sebastian took a deep breath and continued, “Several minutes later, I decided to head outside for some fresh air.  At first when I went out, I didn’t notice anything, but then I heard yelling.”

“Who was it that you heard yelling?”

“I didn’t recognize the voice at first, but it turned out to be Blaine.  When I looked toward the sound, I noticed Kurt’s Navigator was still there, which I found odd.  That, combined with the yelling had me concerned, so I ran toward the car. When I looked between his Navigator and the car parked next to him, I saw them.  Kurt was laying on the ground, and Blaine was on top of him. Kurt’s shirt was torn open and his pants were open and had been pulled down around his hips.  Blaine… had his hand down Kurt’s pants, and was grabbing his crotch. Kurt was saying something, but it was quiet and seemed to be drifting in and out of consciousness, or was super dizzy, I’m not sure which. Blaine was yelling at him. I heard him say ‘Give me what I deserve, bitch.’”

Sebastian cleared his throat and shifted in his seat.  “I yelled at him to get off and grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him up.  He struggled to get back to Kurt, so I punched him. He fell against the car next to us, and then went after him again.  I punched him a second time, and he fell to the ground. He didn’t get up, so I thought he would stop. I went to Kurt. I knelt by his side, and started to lift his head off the ground, when Kurt’s eyes widened, looking behind me. I turned and saw Blaine, with his fist drawn back.  I spun around and punched him as hard as I could. I knocked him out. Broke my hand.”

Sebastian sighed, “I returned to Kurt.  He was so beaten. He was exhausted from fighting off Blaine, and from the concussion.  His eye was quickly turning black and blue. He had a cut on his eyebrow, his lip, and the top of his forehead.  He had bruises on his chest, ribs, and some scratches. I told him I was there, that it would be okay.” A tear rolled down Seb’s cheek.  Kurt was crying as well. “I just held him, trying to reassure him that I was there for him. He held on to me… He was so scared.” Seb took another deep, shaky breath. “I called Nick and told him that Blaine tried to rape Kurt in the parking lot and told him to call 911.  Nick, Jeff, and David, were outside in what seemed like seconds. David called 911 and asked for two ambulances. The police and ambulance came. The guys stayed back and gave statements to police there. The first ambulance took Blaine. The second ambulance took Kurt and I.  We gave the police our statements at the hospital.”

“Thank you, Sebastian.”

Mr. Lewis stood, and approached Sebastian.  “Sebastian, what is your relationship with Kurt Hummel?”

“Kurt is my boyfriend.”

“I see.  And what was your relationship with Kurt that night at Scandals?”

“We were friends.”

“Did you want to be more than friends?”

“You’ve met Kurt, right?  Of course I did.” Kurt smirked at that.  Burt and Puck full on grinned like a shark.

Mr. Lewis sternly said, “Yes or no answers only.”

Sebastian leaned forward, raised an eyebrow, and pointedly looked at Mr. Lewis. “Yes.”

“Thank you.”

 

Nick took the stand next.  

Mr. Edwards began, “Nick what is your relationship with Blaine Anderson?”

“We were kind of friends.  He was a student at Dalton Academy and a fellow Warbler.”

“What is your relationship with Kurt Hummel?”

“We’re friends.  He became my roommate when he transferred mid-year.  He was a fellow Warbler, too. Kurt and my boyfriend, Jeff, were good friends, so we saw each other a lot in the beginning.”

“What do you mean by ‘in the beginning’?”  

“Well, once Kurt started dating Blaine, he sort of distanced himself from everyone.  Blaine didn’t like for him to see other people, even as friends. We slowly started seeing less and less of Kurt at things all of us were doing.  I was lucky enough to get to see him a bit more since we were roommates.”

“Would you say Blaine was controlling?”

“I think he tried to be.  I think he underestimated Kurt’s spunk.  He never got as much control over Kurt as I think he tried to.”

“Tell us about the night at Scandals.”

“It was basically exactly like both Kurt and Sebastian said.  We met there, sang songs, danced. No one drank but Blaine. Kurt decided to take Blaine home when he had too much to drink.  Kurt said goodbye to us and then left. I wasn’t sure where Sebastian went. Then he called and said Blaine tried to rape Kurt in the parking lot and to call 911.  I grabbed Jeff and we ran outside. We were out there within seconds. We saw Blaine sticking out from between Kurt’s Navigator and the car next to it. He was unconscious.  We ran over. David was already on the phone with 911.”

Nick looked down at his hands and sighed.  “When we got to the car, and turned to look in front of it, Sebastian was sitting on the ground with Kurt laying in his arms.  Kurt was holding on to Sebastian like his life depended on it. Sebastian was whispering something to Kurt. Kurt was so beat up. Black eye, cuts, bruises, scrapes.  The police and ambulances came. We stayed to give a statement, and then headed to the hospital. Jeff called Mr. Hummel and Mrs. Smythe on the way.”

“Thank you, Nick.”

“No questions.”   Mr. Lewis said.

 

When Jeff took the stand, he was already tearing up.  

“Jeff, what is your relationship with Blaine Anderson?”  Mr. Edwards asked.

“We went to school together and were in the Warblers together.”

“Were you friends?”

“Mmm, sort of. I thought he was okay before Kurt came along.  We got along, but I don’t know if I would say we were friends.  Once Kurt started at Dalton, Blaine started acting different. He didn’t like when Kurt spent time with others.  It was like Kurt was a shiny new toy that he didn’t want to share. I don’t think many people, including Kurt, saw that.   It got worse when they started dating. He didn’t like when Kurt and I would go shopping or hang out after classes.”

“What is your relationship with Kurt Hummel?”

Jeff smiled, “He’s one of my best friends.  He became Nick’s roommate, and Nick is my boyfriend, so I saw him quite a bit.  We became fast friends. We like a lot of the same things, and same activities.”

“Can you tell us about what happened at Scandals?”

Jeff began to tear up again, “It was just as the others said.  We met there, danced, sang, had fun. Blaine drank too much, so Kurt wanted to take him home.  We said goodbye, and then later, Sebastian called Nick. I knew something was wrong when I saw Nick’s face.”  Jeff let some tears fall, “Nick’s eyes became huge, and he was as white as a ghost. He said….He said that Blaine tried to rape Kurt and we ran outside right away.  When we got outside, we saw Blaine on the ground. Then when we got the car…” Jeff put his hand over his mouth. Kurt and Sugar both had tears running down their cheeks as he watched his friend struggle to tell the story. “We saw Sebastian on the ground holding Kurt.  Kurt’s shirt was open, as were his pants. His pants were pulled down his hips. He had a black eye and cuts on his face. He had bruises on his chest and ribs.”  Jeff took a deep, shaky breath, “I just cried. He looked so broken.  The ambulance and police came. We gave out statements and the ambulances took Kurt, Seb, and Blaine away.  Nick drove my car to the hospital, and I called Mr. Hummel and Mrs. Smythe. Those were the hardest phone calls I’ve ever had to make.”

“Thank you, Jeff.”

“No questions.”  Mr. Lewis said.

 

Mr. Edwards said, “We do have another witness, but both Kurt and Sebastian have a restraining order out against him, Your Honor.  How would you like to handle that?”

Blaine’s eyebrows raised.   _What are they talking about?  Why a restraining order?_

Judge Rosen said, “We will let Kurt and Sebastian take a break while the witness testifies.  You can text the boys when it’s time to come back in.”

“Thank you, Your Honor.”  Mr. Edwards turned and whispered to Kurt.  

Kurt stood up, and left with Sebastian, hand in hand.  They found a quiet hallway with a bench and sat in silence holding each other.  After several minutes, Sebastian began softly singing the words from the song he had sang the night before.  Kurt closed his eyes, trying to get lost in the loving words his boyfriend’s beautiful voice was singing to him.  

 

David Karofsky walked in to the courtroom with his father and an assistant from Mr. Edwards’ office.  He immediately took the stand and was sworn in.

Blaine was surprised to see who it was.  He wondered what happened to make both Kurt and Sebastian have a restraining order taken out against Dave.

“David, how do you know Blaine Anderson?”

“I don’t really.  I met him that night at Scandals when I found out he was Fancy’s… Kurt’s, boyfriend.  Kurt introduced us on the dance floor. Never really talked to the guy.”

“And how do you know Kurt Hummel?”

“We went to McKinley together until he transferred our Junior year.”

“Can you tell us what happened at Scandals?”

“Yeah, well, I saw Kurt there with his friends.  He went to get a water at the bar and take a break from dancing, so I went and sat next to him.  We talked for a few minutes. Sebastian was there too. I ended up dancing with Sebastian and their friends for a bit.  Then later that night, I saw two of Kurt’s friends, Nick and Jeff, looking upset and running out of the bar. I didn’t see Kurt, Blaine, or Sebastian, so I was afraid something happened.  I followed them outside. When we got out there, we saw Blaine on the ground. I called 911. We ran over while I was on the phone and saw Kurt and Sebastian.”

“And what did you see when you saw them?”

Dave took a deep breath. “Sebastian was on the ground holding Kurt.  Kurt was beat up bad. I wanted to kill Blaine. Once the police and ambulances got there, I gave my statement and then left.”

“I see.  Thank you, David.”

“No questions.”  Mr. Lewis said.

Mr. Edwards’ assistant escorted David and his father out to the parking lot.  No one even looked at him when he passed them...Except Coach Sylvester, who stared death daggers at him.  He was already on her shit list, but now he was at the top, just under Blaine Anderson.

 

Once given the all clear, Kurt and Sebastian returned to the courtroom.  Sebastian again walked Kurt up so that he was between the Anderson’s and Kurt.  Burt met them at the end of the aisle again, and wrapped his arm protectively around Kurt and guided him to his seat.  

“We would like to call Dr. Johnson from Lima Memorial to the stands, Your Honor.”  

Dr. Johnson had arrived just before Kurt had returned to the courtroom.  Both boys remembered him. He brought with him some enlarged photos of Kurt’s injuries.  He handed them to Mr. Edwards, and then took the stand and got sworn in.

“Thank you for being here Dr. Johnson.  Can you tell us about what you found in Kurt Hummel’s injuries?”  As he spoke, he placed a large photo of Kurt’s face on an easel.

Up until this moment, everything else had just been words to Cooper Anderson.  He believed Blaine when he said everyone was blowing this whole thing out of proportion.  He thought that Kurt and his friends were exaggerating. He figured Sebastian was trying to get rid of Blaine so that he could have Kurt to himself.

But then there was a photo of Kurt Hummel, staring right at him.  His eye was black and blue, nearly swollen shut. He had a huge cut on his eyebrow, the top of his forehead, and his lip was busted open.  He had a huge bump on his head. And this was just the first picture. He felt sick to his stomach. Could Blaine have done this? Cooper ran his hands through his hair and bent over with his head in his hands.  

Blaine’s parents had similar reactions.  Mrs. Anderson actually shed a few tears.

Dr. Johnson went on the describe Kurt’s injuries.  With each photo there were more descriptions, and more people squirming in their seats. Some from being sad, some from being angry, and some from a new realization. That included the Anderson’s, and it especially included Blaine.  

Blaine had not seen Kurt’s injuries. He didn’t realize he had done so much damage.  He actually sat and cried. However, no one felt sorry for him.

  
  
  
  
  
  



	22. The Trial Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last of the trial, the verdict, and what happens for the rest of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I am not a lawyer and this may not be how any of it would work in real life, but it's not TOO far off. I hope nobody is expecting this to end here, because it's not. I'm taking this story all the way until the graduate, and then there will be a sequel after that. Enjoy!  
> Comments and Kudos welcome and appreciated!!!

Blaine knew that he had hit Kurt.  He knew he had taken things too far.  But sitting there looking at the photos of Kurt made him realize just how much.  There were not only photos of Kurt’s black eye, busted lip, and lacerations, but also bruises on his chest, ribs, back, and multiple scraps across his torso.  Was his temper that bad? Was he so drunk that he didn’t realize how violent he had gotten? Not that it mattered at this point. He had done the damage, and now he was going to have to pay the price.  

Blaine was called to the stand, and sworn in under oath.  Blaine looked over to Kurt, but Kurt refused to look his way.  Everyone else was glaring at him so much that he was a little fidgety and shifting in his seat.  

Mr. Edwards began,  “Blaine, how many high schools have you attended?”

“Two.”

“What was the reason you left the high school you attended before Dalton Academy?”

“I was being bullied.”  He said with sad puppy dog eyes.

“Blaine, let me remind you that you are under oath.”

Blaine cleared his throat and shifted in his seat  His facial expression morphing.  “I was unofficially expelled.”

“And why is that?”

“I… I punched someone.”

“Was there a reason you punched this person?”

“I just lost my temper, that’s all.”  He shrugged.

“‘That’s all.’  Huh. Blaine, tell us about the Fight Club you started at your old school.”

Blaine was a bit shocked.  His family all looked at each other in confusion.  They had no idea what Mr. Edwards was talking about.  

“Umm, well… I like to box.  So I started a club that would allow myself and fellow boxers to have matches.  It’s a secret club, so nobody gets in trouble.”

“So, with a ring, and gloves, and rules?”

“No, sir.  No ring, we just used the boiler room so we didn’t get caught.  No gloves.”

“And rules, Blaine?  Do you have any rules for this club you started?”

Blaine cleared his throat and hung his head.  “The only rule is, no hitting in the face. We can’t get caught if marks and bruises are below the neck, hidden by our uniforms.  We fought until someone gives up or gets knocked out.”

“I see.  Blaine how many drinks did you have when you were at Scandals that night?”

“I’m not sure exactly. Possibly three or four.”

“In how many hours?”

“Umm, maybe four?”

“Blaine, the police report says that your alcohol level was a .03.  Do understand what that means?”

Puck started shifting in his seat.  He knew exactly what that meant, and it made him even angrier than he was before.  

Kurt looked at his dad.  He had no idea where this was going.  His dad just held up a finger, signaling for Kurt to give it a second.

“Blaine, that means that you had enough alcohol in your system to maybe give you a warm buzz. It is not enough to make you lose control of your actions.”

Kurt thought he was going to throw up.  He was so upset that Blaine could do this in the first place, but now to know he could do this and practically be sober?  How could he?

Sebastian bent over and put his elbows on his knees.  He lowered his head and ran his fingers through his hair.  His mom began to rub his back, trying to soothe him. He really wanted to kill Anderson.  

Cooper was bright red.  He was both embarrassed and pissed off.  He couldn’t believe that this was his little brother.  What had gone wrong? What happened to the sweet little Blainers that he played with growing up?  He was now a monster. He was embarrassed that he had defended him.

 

Mr. Edwards shot Kurt and apologetic look before his next question.  “Blaine, earlier this morning when Mr. Lewis asked Kurt if he was still a virgin, you seemed to get upset.  Why is that?”

Blaine mumbled something that was too low for anyone to hear.  

“I’m sorry, Blaine, you’re going to have to speak up.”

Blaine’s face turned red and his face contorted as he slammed his hands down and the banister in front of him and screamed,  “Because I know he’s not a virgin anymore! I could tell by the way he blushed! He shouldn’t be with Sebastian, and he shouldn’t be acting like such a fucking whore!  He should still be with _me!”_

Kurt’s face was red and his eyes were wide.  Burt put his arm around Kurt’s shoulder, trying to comfort him.  

Sebastian’s knuckles were white as he made fists.  Puck reached forward and put a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder and gave a squeeze.  He patted him on the back, trying to settle him down. He knew Sebastian was ready to attack.  Tori put her hand on his knee, hoping to soothe him some more.

Everyone in the jury just stared at Blaine, momentarily shocked at this outburst. It dawned on everyone, in case there was any doubt, that Blaine’s temper and his violent side didn’t need much provoking.  

“No further questions.”  Mr. Edwards said, trying to hide his grin.  He was pleased his tactics worked. Robert was pleased with the lawyers tactics as well.  He had made a good recommendation with Mr. Edwards.

Mr. Lewis sat back in his seat and shook his head.  “No questions.”

“Alright, then let’s break for lunch. Blaine, the bailiff will be taking you back to holding.  Everyone else, you have one hour.” Judge Rosen said.

Kurt breathed a sigh of relief.  He immediately stood and turned around.  Sebastian was right there waiting, and they leaned over the banister and embraced.  

“You okay, Babe?”  Sebastian whispered in his ear.

“Yeah, I actually think I am.”  Kurt gave a small smile.

They let go, and Burt put his hand on Kurt’s shoulder as the two of them walked to go around the banister.  Kurt looked up to his dad and whispered, “So are we going to have to ‘talk’ now?”  He was afraid that his dad would want to talk about Kurt losing his virginity, and he really did't want that to happen.

Burt chuckled and stopped walking, not letting go of Kurt’s shoulder.  He quietly said, “Look, Bud. You two are in love. Sebastian is crazy about you.  He’s good to you, and for you. As long as you’re happy, and he continues to treat the way he does, I have nothing negative to say about _any_ of it.  Beside, give it two weeks and I legally have no say anyway.”

Kurt just looked at him and smiled,  “Thanks, Dad.”

“Let’s go eat.  This emotional roller coaster had me work up an appetite.”  Burt grinned.

Kurt chuckled, “Okay, Dad.”  

Before Kurt could blink, Sebastian was there holding his hand.  Carol came and gave him a hug. “Do you want to eat somewhere alone?  Do you need some time?”

Kurt smiled softly at her.  He loved her so much, and was so glad she always had his best interest at heart, “No, actually,”  He looked up at everyone. They were all waiting on an answer from him. “I’d like us to all eat together.”  

With lots of relieved smiles, everyone headed downstairs to the cafe in the courthouse.  They were able to gather enough tables for everyone to fit. Once settled, Kurt asked for everyone’s attention.  “I just want to thank you all for coming and supporting me today. Even though I had my back to you for much of the morning, I could feel you there with me.  I could feel your love and support. You have all been so amazing. Thank you.”

Everyone nodded and mumbled different things like ‘your welcome’, ‘my pleasure’, ‘of course’, and then Finn asked, “So, are you okay?  You seem in a much better mood than I thought you would be.”

Kurt chuckled and said, “Ya know, I’m in a much better mood than _I_ thought I would be too.  But, when Blaine lost his temper in there, it...changed things.  I guess, I’m just kind of relieved that everyone saw part of what I saw.  It showed his true colors, ya know? It gives me hope that this will go my way.  I’m also relieved that now his family knows the real Blaine, and when he’s done serving whatever sentence he gets, maybe they can get him some more help.”

Sebastian watched Kurt closely during lunch.  He only had a salad, but he ate all of it. Burt saw him watching Kurt’s food intake, and grinned to himself.  

Sebastian put his hand on Kurt’s back and rubbed small circles with his thumb. Kurt turned to him and grinned.  Puck was watching, like he always does, and smiled at how Kurt and Sebastian were so loving. He was so relieved that Kurt finally had that after everything he had been through.

 

Once they were all back in the courtroom, the police officer who had originally interviewed all of the boys gave his testimony.  They would have liked for him to have been there before lunch recess was called, but there was a conflict in scheduling. After his testimony, the jury went off to deliberate.  That’s when Kurt started getting nervous again.

“So that’s all there is?  Now we just wait?” Kurt asked Mr. Edwards as his leg bounced up and down.

“That’s it.  We just wait.  If the jury can’t come to a decision today, then we come back tomorrow.”  Mr. Edwards said. “I have a good feeling about this, Kurt. Don’t worry.”

Everyone got up and meandered around in the lobby area downstairs.  They didn’t want to go far, in case they were called back soon.  Sugar and Puck watched Sebastian rub Kurt’s back as Kurt looked more and more worried.  

“Hey, Princess, you doing okay?”  Puck asked.

“I think nerves are starting to kick in.” Sebastian answered after Kurt didn’t really reply.

“Angel, it’s going to be fine.  You’ll see.” Sugar gave Kurt a small smile and he reached out for her, pulling her into a hug, but not letting go of Sebastian.  It made it so that the three of them were all hugging.

Puck crossed his arms and frowned, “What?  I don’t get in on this action?”

Kurt smirked as he summoned Puck with his fingers.  Puck joined in the hug.

Jeff walked up with Nick closely following, “Uh-uh… No way is there going to be a group hug without me.  Not happening!” He wrapped himself around the back of Kurt and Sebastian.

Nick followed suit, “Where Jeffie goes, I go!”

Finn leaned over to Sam and stage whispered, “You would think the brothers would get first dibs, but noooo….They just totally leave us hanging.”  Sam nodded his head as if he totally agreed with him.

Sugar and Jeff both held out their arms, welcoming Finn and Sam into the embrace.  Kurt closed his eyes and soaked up the love.

The parents,  Mr. Schuester, and Coach Sylvester, were all watching this beautiful event unfold.  Mr. Edwards turned to look at what the adults were looking at. He grinned, “Man, Kurt is one lucky guy.  Having this many people be in his corner. It’s quite amazing.”

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.  Burt added, “And there’s even more friends who couldn’t be here with him today.  It really is amazing, considering a couple of years ago he basically had nobody but me.”

Tori smiled, “Well now he has two whole families who love him, plus his friends-family.  He deserves all of it. He really is an amazing guy.”

Carol quickly took out her phone and snapped a quick picture.  She thought it might be something Kurt might like to have later.  

Everyone’s thoughts were interrupted when Mr. Edwards phone dinged.  He looked down at the text. “Well, that was fast.” It had only been about 45 minutes since the jury left to deliberate.  “Looks like they’re ready for us.”

Everyone started to move and Kurt almost shouted as he said, “No!”  Everyone froze and he took a deep breath, “Don’t let go yet. Just give me a minute… Like this.  Just a minute more.” He never even opened his eyes. He just wanted to soak up the love and positive energy his family was giving him.

I minute later, Puck leaned over and kissed Kurt on the forehead, saying, “Okay, Princess, let’s go get this over with.”  

“Oh my god.”  Kurt mumbled.

“Hey!  Don’t you kiss my man.”  Sebastian faked a frown. “I might have to swoop in and steal your lady.”  He winked at Sugar and wiggled his eyebrows.

Sugar rolled her eyes and shook her head, “How about you and Puck can have each other and Kurt and I will ride off into the sunset all on our own?”

Everyone was giggling at this point.  Kurt couldn’t help it. They were being so ridiculous.  “Alright, I’ll choose which one of you I want later. Let’s go.”  He grinned.

As they made their way back to the courtroom, Sebastian leaned over and whispered, “You’d choose me, right Babe?”  He smirked at Kurt.

Kurt stopped walking and turned toward Sebastian.  “Always.” he said and then kissed his boyfriend.

 

Once everyone was seated, the bailiff brought Blaine back out.  He stared at Kurt the whole way to his seat, but Kurt refused to acknowledge him.  Once he was seated, he leaned forward so he could look around Mr. Lewis, trying to get a look at Kurt.  Kurt was seated in the spot furthest away from Blaine. When Burt noticed what Blaine was doing, he glared at him and moved himself forward to block Blaine’s view.  Sebastian noticed, and it made him grin.

When the jury came back in, Kurt was trying to look at their faces to see if he could get a feel for what they had decided.  He heart was pounding. He knew there was a ton of evidence against Blaine, but he also knew that this town had not been too kind to him when it came to accepting his sexuality.  He wondered if the fact that he’s gay was going to give Blaine more leeway or not.

Everyone stood once Judge Rosen returned.  She definitely had that intimidating air about her still, but there was something else this time. Kurt seemed to feel like maybe she already had her mind made up. Hopefully it would work in his favor.

Blaine and his lawyer stood, ready to receive Blaine’s fate.

“Members of the Jury, have you reached a verdict?”  Judge Rosen asked.

The Jury Spokesperson stood and said, “We have, Your Honor.”

“Members of the Jury, in the case of Kurt Hummel vs. Blaine Anderson, what say you?”  

“Your Honor, Members of the Jury find the defendant GUILTY.”

Blaine hung his head and his knees gave out.  Being in Juvenile Detention had been hard. Now he was tried as an adult, which meant a real prison was in order.  He couldn’t believe it. How could Kurt do this to him? All he wanted was to have sex with his boyfriend. And now he had to go to jail because of it.

Mr. Lewis and Mr. Anderson grabbed Blaine, helping him stand.  

Kurt was immediately engulfed in a hug by Burt.  “You did it, Kiddo. That son of a bitch is going to pay.”  Kurt cried tears of joy.

As soon as his dad let go, Kurt turned and he and Sebastian embraced over the banister that separated them.  “I love you, Baby. You did it. I’m so proud of you.” Sebastian said as he kissed Kurt all over his face.

“I love you, too, Bas.  Thank you for supporting me through all of this.”

Everyone else there with Kurt was ecstatic. They were so happy things were finally going Kurt’s way.  

Judge Rosen banged her gavel and everyone returned to their seats.  “I will not be taking a recess or make you wait for the sentencing. You’ve waited long enough.”  She looked at Kurt when she said that, not Blaine.

Kurt grabbed Burt’s hand and Burt squeezed.  

Judge Rosen looked at Blaine, “Blaine Anderson, what you did was despicable.  I am sentencing you to the maximum sentence of five years in prison.  Your name will be added to the Sex Offender list, where it will remain for the rest of your life.”  She turned to the jury, “Members of the Jury, you are dismissed. The Court thanks you for your time of service.”

The Jury and Judge Rosen all stood to leave.  The bailiff grabbed Blaine and walked him out through a side door.  

Everyone there with Kurt was thrilled that Blaine got the maximum.  It was finally over and they were so relieved… Until they saw Kurt.

Kurt was laying his head in arms, sobbing.  Sebastian had made his way to him already and was kneeling by his side, rubbing his back and talking to him quietly.

“Baby, tell me what’s wrong.”  Sebastian said.

Kurt tried to take a deep breath and calm his crying.  It took a few tries, but he was finally able to talk. “I’m just so relieved, Bas.  I’m so exhausted. And so relieved.” Kurt turned toward Sebastian and leaned into his arms.  

Over his shoulder Sebastian looked up Burt and the rest of the group.  He nodded to let them know he was okay.

“I know, Babe.  It’s been a lot.  I’m so proud of you, though.  You were so brave, and so strong.  And it worked. It’s over, Babe. He’s gone, Dave is gone, and now we can move on with our lives.” Sebastian kissed his temple and pulled back.  “Let’s get out of here.”

They started to walk around the banister and down the aisle, when Cooper stepped out in front of the them.  Sebastian tightened his grip on Kurt and Puck and Kurt’s brothers immediately surrounded them.

Cooper put his hands up like he surrendered, “I mean no harm,” he said as looked at the guys surrounding him, “I just want to apologize.” He looked back at Kurt and Sebastian. “I am sorry. To both of you. I’m sorry I had been so rude, and Kurt, I’m especially sorry for what Blaine did.  I had no idea he was capable of anything like that.”

Kurt answered, “None of us knew, Cooper.  Thank you for the apology. Now if you’ll excuse us…”  

Sebastian tightened his hold on Kurt and they made their way past Cooper.  

Once they were in the lobby, everyone was gathered around and giving Kurt their congratulations.  Finn piped up and said, “Okay, Kurt, the texts from the New Directions are already coming in. They want to know what happened.  Do you want me to text them back, or is it time for an impromptu announcement celebration?”

Kurt smiled and looked at Carol.  She nodded that it was fine, so he said, “Party it is!”

  


Back at the house, Finn and Sam gathered the Glee Club in the living room while Kurt and Sebastian waited in the kitchen with their parents.  Once everyone was there, Kurt and Sebastian came out holding hands. You could hear a pin drop and all eyes were on Kurt. Their parents waited and watched from the doorway.

“Well….”  Kurt couldn’t help it, the smile crept onto his face and eyebrows began to raise in anticipation.  “He was found guilty!”

Cheers erupted and everyone was jumping up and down and hugging.  

“Wait!  There’s more!” Mr. Schuester announced.  Everyone paused and looked back at Kurt.

He smiled, “He got the maximum sentence.  5 years, plus he will be labeled as a sex offender for the rest of his life.”  Everyone was so relieved. They hugged Kurt and Sebastian both. The room was full of pure joy.  Kurt had to laugh when Santana whispered something about having to wait 5 years to do something with Blaine's balls that involved a hammer.

Everyone was enjoying the party.  The kids were all in the living room carrying on and the adults had gathered in the kitchen and were talking.  Sebastian walked into the kitchen to get a drink and Burt stopped him. He didn’t pull Sebastian aside and say this quietly.  He said what he wanted to say so that everyone could hear him.

“Hey, Kid.  Come here for a second.”  Sebastian grinned and walked over to Burt where he was leaning against the counter.  Burt put his arm around Sebastian’s shoulder. “Look, I just wanted to thank you. Thank you for helping Kurt with Karofsky, from the day you met him until they day he was caught.  Thank you for saving Kurt from that asshole, Blaine. I can’t imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t been there.”

“Burt, you’ve already thanked me.  There’s no -”

Burt cut him off, “No, there’s more.  You have done so much since that night.  From helping him when he had a night terror, to making sure he eats.  You’ve held him when he’s upset, loved him through the good times and bad… The entire roller coaster he’s been on since that night, you’ve been there for him.  You, and you’re family,” Burt looked at Tori and Robert, “have been amazing. So thank you.”

Sebastian was blushing.  “Well, I know Kurt has been through hell.  But I love him, so being there for him has been easy to do.”

Burt said, “He’s lucky to have you, Sebastian.  We all are.”

Kurt, unnoticed, had been leaning against the kitchen door frame.  He had heard most of what had been said. Everyone turned to look at him when he said, “That’s true, Bas.  We’re all lucky to have you.” Kurt walked over to Sebastian and they hugged.

Tori and Carol had tears in their eyes.  Robert and Burt were grinning at them. Coach finally piped up, “Okay!  Okay! I approve. You’ve proven yourself worthy.” She grinned at Sebastian.

“Wow, that didn’t take much at all.”  Sebastian said as he rolled his eyes. Everyone chuckled.

 

 

Later that evening, Nick drove Jeff and Sebastian back to Dalton.  On the way, Sebastian texted the Warblers in a group text.

**From Sebastian:**

Warbler meeting tonight at 9 in the rehearsal room. We'll make it quick.

 

When Sebastian, Nick, and Jeff entered the rehearsal room, everyone became silent.  It instantly reminded Seb of the time they had a meeting to tell the Warblers about the night at Scandals and what had happened to Kurt.  He was happy to be delivering much better news this time.

“Good Evening, Gentlemen.”  Sebastian began. “We just wanted to let everyone know the trial went today.  We’re grateful that it is all over in one day. So,” Everyone was waiting anxiously, “Blaine was found guilty.  Because he’s 17, they were able to have him tried as an adult, and he was sentenced to five years in prison. He will also be considered a sex offender for the rest of his life.”

There was a collective sigh of relief.  Everyone was mumbling and talking about the sentence, when Trent asked, “So how is Kurt?  Did he make through everything okay?”

Sebastian smiled.  “He’s great, actually.  He’s relieved it’s over, and he’s thrilled that Blaine got the maximum sentence. It was really hard on him to give his testimony.  It was hard on all of us. But, between the testimonies and the photographs, there wasn’t much denying what happened. Blaine kind of put the final nail in his own coffin when he had a little outburst.”

“I’d say ‘little outburst’ was an understatement.”  Jeff said as he made a face.

“Why, what did he do?”  Trent asked.

Nick looked at Sebastian, who nodded back for him to tell them.  “Let’s just say there was a question that made Kurt blush. That made Blaine realize that Kurt and Sebastian are… intimate.  He slammed his hand down on the desk and started to stand up like was going to -”

Jeff interrupted, “You should have seen it.  Not only were Sebastian and Mr. Hummel on their feet, ready to save the day, but so were Kurt’s brother’s and Puck.  The judge even made a comment to Blaine about it.”

Nick continued, “But then later, when Blaine was testifying, Kurt’s lawyer asked Blaine why he had that reaction.  Blaine lost his shit. He slammed his hands down and started yelling that Kurt and Sebastian shouldn’t be together, that Kurt is a fucking whore...”  He looked at Sebastian, “His words, not mine….And that Kurt belonged with him.”

Sebastian finished, “The jury really got to see how Blaine could lose his cool.  Turns out, he wasn’t really drunk that night. He had also been unofficially kicked out of his last school for punching someone.  He had started an underground fight club there too. His reaction scared Kurt for a minute, but then it was like...I don’t know, like a light bulb went off, or something.  He realized that the jury caught it, Blaine’s family now knew. It just kind of put him at ease. He even ate all of his lunch, which lately, is a big deal.”

The boys spent a few more minutes answering questions, and then decided to head to bed.  When Sebastian and Nick were back in their dorm room, Sebastian turned to Nick, “Hey Nick, thanks for today.  For being there for Kurt and I. You and Jeff have been good friends.”

“It was our pleasure, Seb.  I’m glad it all worked out.”  Nick grinned as he stared at the ceiling.  

Sebastian rolled over and sighed into a smile, “Me too.”

Back at the Hummel-Hudson home, Kurt was fast asleep by the time 9 o’clock came around.  It was the best night’s sleep he had had in years.

 


	23. Thanksgiving Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanksgiving break brings Leah home, but with that, brings some trouble from an unwanted suitor. Kurt and Sebastian explore their wants and needs in the bedroom. Will they come to an agreement?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up longer than I thought. Hope you like it! Comments and Kudos welcome!

Lima Bean was getting busier and busier with the colder weather’s arrival.  The boys lucked out and got their normal spot on the couch. As they sat chatting about school, Sebastian’s eyes lit up when he glanced outside.  Kurt looked to see what he was looking at.

“It’s snowing!”  Sebastian exclaimed.  

Kurt chuckled, “Sure is!  I take it you like the snow?”

“Love it.  It’s so beautiful.  It makes me feel like I’m in a snow globe.”  He smiled.

Kurt smiled back.  “One more thing I love about you,”  he said quietly.

They sat watching the snowfall for a bit and then Kurt said, “Oh yeah.  Did I tell you Leah texted me yesterday? She’s so sweet. She was just checking to see if I’m okay.  She said she’s coming home this weekend for fall break? They’re lucky they get the whole week off.”

“Yeah, do you not have the whole week off?  Dalton does.” Sebastian answered.

“No, we have to go to school on Monday and Tuesday.  Now I’m jealous.” He winked.

Sebastian chuckled. “Leah’s coming home Friday, and then has a sleepover at  a friend’s house Saturday, but maybe we can do something with her on Sunday? I know she’s dying to see you again.”

Kurt smiled, “I’d love that.”  He paused for a few minutes. “Sebastian, I want you to spend time with your friends.”

Sebastian was taking a drink of his coffee when Kurt said that, and he froze.  He lowered his cup, “What? I see my friends all the time. I live with them all through the week.  I see them more that I see you.”

Kurt said, “That’s true. I just don’t want it to become a problem.  I don’t want to keep you from friends outside of school time.”

Sebastian smiled softly, “I know what you’re saying.  I promise that you aren’t. My friends and I go out to dinner, hang out in the lounges.  We have movie nights in the commons. I see them all week long. If something comes up on the weekend that I want to be a part of, I promise to let you know.  And, of course, you should always do the same. I will never keep you from spending time with your friends. Never.”

Kurt put his hand on Sebastian’s face, leaned over and kissed him.  “I know. Thank you.”

Sebastian smirked and wiggled his eyebrows, “Besides, I already have plans for _you_ this weekend.”

Kurt had his coffee in one hand, and with the other he reached over and ran Sebastian’s Dalton tie through his fingers. He smiled slyly, “Oh you do, do you?”

“Mmm, yes.  But we need to have another talk before that happens.”  Sebastian said.

Kurt frowned, “Okay,”  he paused, “About what exactly?”  He asked quietly. He looked kind of worried.

Sebastian smiled softly.  “No need to worry. We just need to make some more things...clear.”

Kurt looked around to make sure they wouldn’t be overheard.  “Okay, what needs to be made clear?”

“Well, I want you to do a little research on what we discussed before.  I can even send you some links to good sites that I found. I did learn a few things, although a lot of things you and I already do naturally.”  Sebastian turned more towards Kurt and rested his arm on the back of the couch. He ran his fingertips gently through Kurt’s hair above his ear. “When we talked before, you mentioned the word ‘control’ a couple of times.”

“Mhmm.”  Kurt said, looking up at Sebastian through his eyelashes.

“I’m not sure giving up ‘control’ is what you mean or want.”

Kurt frowned again, “I don’t understand.”

Sebastian said, “I think maybe it’s less about you not having to control things, and more about you trusting me.  Letting me...guide us, or lead us. If you say I have all the control, then that means you have none, and that’s not healthy.”  Kurt was looking at him thoughtfully, trying to process everything. Sebastian continued, “You will always have a say in what we do, Kurt.  Especially if it’s something you don’t really want. This is more about you trusting me to lead, than it is about power or control. Does that make sense?”

Kurt continued to think about it for a few seconds.  “Yes, it does. Maybe control was the wrong word to use.  But I still want what we talked about.” Kurt blushed slightly, grabbed Sebastian’s tie to continue playing with it, and then continued to whisper, “I want you to tell me what to do. I want to do what you say, without even thinking about it.”  Kurt pulled Sebastian’s tie, bringing Sebastian closer to him. He looked Seb in the eye, then to his lips, then back to his eyes, “I want you to use that tone with me, then I want to answer ‘Yes, Sebastian’, and do it without thinking. I trust you.”

Sebastian growled, “Baby, you’re killing me.”  He leaned over and kissed Kurt. The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but it had both boys on fire.

Kurt just gave him a small grin and batted his eyelashes at him.

 

Later that night Kurt was reading some of the websites that Sebastian had sent him links to.  Some of it was too much, but he was surprised that he found himself getting turned on by more than he thought he would.  He texted Sebastian.

 

**To Sebastian:**

I read the articles.  I know what I want. Let’s talk about it after the game Friday.  

**To Kurt:**

Well, that was fast lol. I’m bringing Leah to the game, though.  Turns out Mom and Dad have another fundraiser thing. This time in Cleveland.  So instead of Friday, we can talk tomorrow? I’ll call you.

 **To Sebastian:**  
Sounds good.  Goodnight, Bas.  I love you.

**To Kurt:**

Love you, too, Babe.  Goodnight.

 

……….

 

The next night Kurt and Sebastian had a long talk about what they each wanted when it came to their sex life, and whether or not they wanted any of it to spill out into their dating life.  They discussed safe words, D/s roles, and even things they were willing to try or not even attempt. They were both pretty surprised by the other’s wishes. It was a good talk, and they were both glad they had it before the weekend.

………..

 

Friday afternoon, Leah was in her bedroom when Sebastian knocked on her door.  

“Come in!”

“Welcome home, sis.”  Sebastian said as he walked over to where she was sitting at her vanity.  He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

“Thanks, Seb.  What time are we leaving?”  

“I figured we could leave when Mom and Dad leave, around 5:30.  We can pick Sugar up and grab a bite to eat, then head to the game.  We’ll probably go to Desserted Love after. I think Kurt loves their cheesecake more than he loves me.”

Leah rolled her eyes, “I doubt that.”

Sebastian smiled as he walked out of the room, “Dress warm.  It’s supposed to get really cold tonight.”

 

Sebastian and Leah picked Sugar up in the Range Rover and headed to Tom & Chee.  Warm soup and sandwiches was just what they were going to need for the cold night ahead.  

“So, Leah, how is school?”  Sugar asked as they ate.

“It’s fine, I guess.  I’ve made some nice friends.  One lives not far from here, so that will be nice to be able to see her on holidays and summer break.  I’m actually going to her house tomorrow night.”

“That’s good.  I never thought about your school being so far away that your friends would live far from here.  It makes sense, I just didn’t think about it because we see Dalton boys so much.” She winked at Sebastian.

“With good reason.”  Sebastian said. He turned to Leah, “So tell me about this friend.  I want to meet her before I leave you there tomorrow night.”

Leah rolled her eyes, “I swear, it’s like I have 3 parents.”

“Four.”  Sebastian smiled.

“True.  Kurt is just as bad.”  Leah sighed and Sugar giggled at them.  “Her name is Amanda Jones. She goes by Mandy.  Her dad is a contractor who works out of town a lot, and her mom works as a secretary for some corporation that I forget the name of.  She has an older brother, Paul, but he’s in college at OSU. I don’t think he’ll be home yet.”

“Hmm.  Okay, but I still want to meet her.  And her parents.”

Leah just rolled her eyes again and changed the subject.  “So, Sugar, how are things going with Puck?”

Sugar smiled, “It’s so good.  He is so sweet.”

Sebastian smiled at her. “I’m so glad you two finally got together.”

Sugar sighed, “Me too.”

 

The three of them huddled together at the game.  It was so cold, and that made them glad it was the last game of the season.

There were a lot of people staring at them all night.  It was driving Sebastian crazy. Of course they were staring.  Most people knew who he was by now. They may not know his name, but they knew he was Kurt’s boyfriend.  And they knew Sugar. They could put two and two together with that one. Of course the two of them would be there together.  The boyfriend of a cheerleader, and the girlfriend of the wide receiver. The four of them were very close.

But now, Sebastian and Sugar show up with Leah.  Beautiful, gorgeous, Leah. Sebastian sighed. If only he could keep those eyes off of his sister.  The girls were looking at her with envy, and the boys were drooling.

At one point, a senior named Mack came up to talk to Sugar.  Mack was about Sebastian’s height, with a similar build. He had dark brown hair and eyes.  He was dressed like a hipster and had a cocky grin that Seb could relate to. It’s probably why he didn’t like him.  He reminded him of the guy he was in Paris. Maybe even worse.

“Hey, Sugar, how are you?”  Mack turned toward Sebastian before Sugar could even answer him and held out his hand to shake, “You’re Kurt’s boyfriend, right?”

Sebastian eyed him, shook his hand, and said, “Yes.  Sebastian Smythe. You are?”

“Mack Robinson.  I’m a friend of Sugar’s and Kurt’s.”  He turned to Leah, “And who are you?”

Sugar may come across as ditzy, but she wasn’t stupid.  She interrupted, “She’s dangerous. Why? Because half the football team would rip you apart if you mess with her, and that’s only if Sebastian and Kurt and I don’t get to you first.  We aren’t friend, Mack. Beat it.”

Sebastian smirked and Mack was dumbstruck.  He frowned, “We may not be close, Sugar, but I would call us friends.”  He looked at Leah, “And do you have a name… Besides ‘dangerous’?”

Before Sebastian could say anything, Leah said, “Of course I do.  But you see, it’s pretty obvious that you can’t take a hint, so learning my name is out of the question.  So if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to watching my friends play and cheer.” She looked past him, back to the game.

Sugar was shaking her head ‘no’, and Sebastian glared at him.  Mack just stood there looking at her until finally Seb said, “I’m waiting on you to leave.  Are you going to make me wait longer?”

“No, no.  I’m going.”  He turned around and went back to his group of friends who were all asking questions.  

Sebastian looked at Sugar, “I take it you don’t like him?”

Sugar shook her head, “Nope.  He’s got quite the reputation.  Plus he’s a senior. Too old for Leah.”

Leah just shook her head.  She figured she’d have to wait until Sebastian, Kurt, and all of their friends were off to college before she could date.  

 

At half time, the three of them went and got a hot chocolate.  Once Kurt was back on the sidelines, Sebastian went to the fence and gave him some hot chocolate to warm him up.

“So was that Mack I saw approaching you guys earlier?  I’m assuming he wanted Leah’s number?” Kurt asked.

“Yep.  He didn’t even get her name.  Sugar put him in his place pretty quickly.”  Sebastian smiled.

“That’s my girl!”  Kurt beamed.

 

Sugar, Puck, Sebastian, Kurt, Leah and Sam all went to Desserted Love after the game.  Everyone was enjoying their dessert and chatting when Mack walked in with two of his friends.  Sebastian sat straight up and tensed. He really didn’t like this guy. Kurt noticed the change in Sebastian before he noticed why.  

Sugar put her hand on Puck’s leg.  She leaned over and said, “Puck, Mack just walked in.  He was hitting on Leah earlier and wouldn’t take a hint.  Just a heads up. Sebastian looks a bit tense.”

Puck leaned back and put his arm around Sugar.  “Got it.”

Sam was watching Mack and his friends walk in, and then saw how Sugar and Sebastian were acting, and Leah was getting a bit fidgety.  No one said what happened earlier, but he knew what Mack was like, so it didn’t take genius to figure it out. He was sitting next to Leah, and to the outsider, it probably looked like they were together.  

Mack noticed the group and walked over to them.  As he approached, Sam leaned back and put his arm around the back of Leah’s chair, possessively.  Sebastian noticed. If this went where he thought it might go, he was going to play along. He hoped Leah would too.  

Mack smirked, “So, fancy meeting you here.”  He looked at Sam, narrowing his eyes, and then back to Leah, “Is he why I can’t even know your name?”

“I’m exactly why, Mack.  I’d appreciate it if you’d leave us be.”  Sam said.

“Hmm,”  He looked at Leah, “You know, Sweetheart, you can do better.”  He motioned to himself and his friends laughed.

“I think you need to move along now, Mack.”  Kurt said with his best bitch face on.

Mack looked him up and down as if he was disgusting.  Sebastian growled at that, and so did Puck.

“I’m not interested.”  Leah said as she shooed him away with her hand.  

“A feisty one.  I like it.” Mack said as he raised his eyebrows.

“She’s taken, Mack.  Move. Along.” Sam said.  He moved his arm from the chair to her shoulder, lightly rubbing small circles with his fingertips.  She leaned in to the embrace. Mack kept watching, so Leah put her hand on Sam’s leg. It didn’t really do anything to persuade him to leave, so Sam took his free hand and laced his fingers together with the hand Leah had put on his leg.  He knew he shouldn’t, but he felt a jolt of electricity go through him.  Judging by the grin on Leah’s face, she probably did too.

Puck was watching with a huge grin on his face.  Not only was he proud Sam caught on so quickly without being told, but he could tell Sam was enjoying it.

Sebastian thought it was odd that he _didn’t_ feel over protective of Leah when Sam was touching her.

“Huh.  Well, maybe next time, Sweetheart.” Mack said as he eyed her hand on Sam’s leg. He and his friends left the bakery without ordering.

Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief.  “Thanks, Sam.”

Sam winked at Leah, “My pleasure,”  he squeezed her hand before letting go and he moved his arm.

Leah smiled and blushed a little.  Kurt and Sugar thought it was adorable.  

Leah looked at Sebastian, “I know that guy was a loser, but I am going to start dating sooner or later. You’re going to have to drop this overly protective crap.”  She looked around at them, “All of you. I’m in high school, for Pete’s sake!”

“You needed protection from that creep.  He probably has more diseases than the brochure counter at a free clinic.”  Kurt said.

Puck, Sugar, Leah, and Sam all cracked up laughing.  Sebastian was too deep in thought about his sister dating.  He sat back and put his hand on Kurt’s leg and said, “Protecting and taking care what, and who, I love is in my nature, Leah.  And any guy I know that is good enough for you, is too old for you. Or they’re taken. Or gay.”

“What’s too old for me?  I’ll be 15 next month. Come on.”  She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“A senior is definitely too old.”  Sebastian said.

Kurt and their friends all looked at each other and giggled.  Sam was smiling, shaking his head with the knowledge of what he knew was coming.

“What?”  Leah and Sebastian both asked, wondering what was so funny.

Sam looked at Leah and smiled, “I’m not a senior.”  She smiled ear to ear.

“You’re not?”  Sebastian asked.  He was shocked.

“Nope.  I’m 16. I don’t turn 17 until April.  I’m a junior.”

“Huh,”  Sebastian said as he leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms and smiling.  

Leah took that as a good sign.  They could drop it for now, but she knew Seb knew she had a crush on Sam.  Sam was just glad that there was a sliver of hope.

 

…………

 

Saturday night Sebastian took Leah to Mandy’s house.  He walked her to the door and met Mandy and Mandy’s mom, Debbie.  They seemed nice enough, so he headed to Kurt’s to pick him up. Burt and Carol had only two more trips to DC before Christmas.  This one was more for social reasons, but they needed to be seen among the right people, so off they went. Kurt packed and overnight bag, said goodbye to his brothers, and headed to the Smythe home with Sebastian.  

When they got back to the house, Sebastian began making dinner and Kurt sat at the large island counter and watched.

“I’m not used to just sitting and watching.  Are you sure you don’t need any help?”

“I’ve got it, Babe.  You can make a dessert if you want.  I’m not sure what we have though. You’re welcome to take a look.”

Kurt made his way to the pantry and walked inside.  “Oooo! Let me check the fridge. I think you have everything I need to make chocolate chip cookies.  Good thing you have a double oven. Can you preheat it for me? 375 degrees please.”  

Sebastian smiled.  Kurt was bent over in the fridge, and Sebastian couldn’t help himself.  He walked over and ran his hand down Kurt’s spine all the way to his ass. “Mmm.”

Kurt got chills, and stood and turned around.  “It’s not time for dessert _yet_.”  He winked.

Kurt started making the cookies while dinner was in the oven.  It was Sebastian’s turn to sit and watch his boyfriend work. “I hear you can bribe Puck to do anything with these cookies.”

Kurt smiled, “Once upon a time, I probably could.  But now he has Sugar, and nothing compares to her baking.”

Sebastian smiled, “Leah said her muffins were as good as ones we would have in Paris.  That’s a pretty high bar to reach.”

Kurt answered, “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe Noah hasn’t gained 20 pounds already.  She wants to open a bakery… The Sugar Shack.” He smiled.

“That’s what Leah said.  It’s the perfect name.”

“Right?  God, I love her.  She wants to come to New York too, but she doesn’t know if she wants to open the bakery right away, or she wants to go to school first for business.  I’m not sure she’ll like school. It’s not really her thing. If she could get someone to run the business end while she does everything else, at least until she learns how herself, that would be perfect.”

“Hmm.  Can she afford to open a business in New York right after high school?  That’s really expensive.”

“I’m pretty sure Vinny has been preparing for this for a while.  It’s always been her dream, and she’s good at it. I think he’s looking at some property as investments there too.”

“Think Puck would go with her?”

“I think Noah would follow her to the ends of the Earth.  I don’t know what he’s going to do for a career though. He’s smart, and gets pretty good grades, although most people would never think that.”

 

After dinner and a couple of cookies, the boys cuddled together on the couch with Satchmo as they watched a movie.  Kurt was snuggled into Sebastian’s side, with his knees tucked up to his chest. Sebastian’s arm was draped around Kurt, and he was mindlessly running his hand up and down Kurt’s side.

After the movie, Kurt wordlessly slid down to the floor and knelt at Sebastian’s feet. He looked up at Sebastian through his lashes, and Sebastian ran his hands through Kurt’s hair, looking at him lovingly.  “Go upstairs, shower, and then I want you on your knees at the foot of the bed.”

A shiver went through Kurt’s body, starting at his neck and working his way down his spine. “Yes, Sebastian.”  He immediately got up and went upstairs with a small smile creeping up in the corners of his mouth..

Sebastian quickly put Satchmo to bed and then showered in one of the guest bathrooms.  

When he entered his bedroom wearing only a towel, he paused at the beauty before him.  Kurt was completely nude, kneeling on the floor at the foot of the bed with his knees shoulder width apart, sitting back on his feet.  His head was bowed and his hands were behind his back.

Sebastian walked over to Kurt, reached his hand down as he circled him, running his fingers through Kurt’s hair.  “Thank you, Kurt. You are absolutely gorgeous.”

At that, Kurt felt warmth inside his chest.  He sighed in contentment.

Sebastian said, “I want your mouth, Babe.  Keep your hands behind your back.” Seb dropped the towel to the ground.

Kurt straightened himself, looked up at Sebastian through his lashes, and said, “Yes, Sebastian.”  His own cock twitching.

Kurt took Sebastian in his mouth and sucked.  As Seb fucked his mouth, he moaned, “God, Baby, your mouth is so perfect.”  

Before Sebastian came, he pulled away.  He leaned down and kissed Kurt passionately, “On your back in the middle of the bed.”

“Yes, Sebastian.”  

For the next several hours, with Sebastian’s guidance, they enjoyed each other’s bodies.  After each of them had orgasmed twice, Sebastian got a warm washcloth and cleaned Kurt up.  He kissed him from head to toe.

“Thank you, Baby. You’re amazing.” Kurt smiled. Sebastian crawled into bed and covered them both up.  He pulled Kurt onto his chest and ran his fingers through his hair. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.  So much.  Thank you, Bas.”  He felt so content.

 

…………..

 

Monday’s Glee Club after school practice was almost over when Sebastian and Leah walked into McKinley High.  Mr. Schuester had to leave early, but the club was perfectly capable of practicing on their own. Sebastian and Leah turned the corner to go to the choir room when they were confronted by none other that Mack Robinson.  

“Fancy meeting you here.  I thought you two were prep schoolers.  What brings you to McKinley? Come to see me?”  Mack smirked.

Sebastian leaned over and quietly said to Leah, “Turn right at the next hall.  Follow the music. Go now.”

She quickly scooted past Mack.  Mack turned and watched her go down the hall. Sebastian said, “We’re just here to see our boyfriends, Mack.  Now if you’ll excuse me.” He started to step around Mack, but Mack stepped in front of him.

“What’s your problem with me?  I never did anything to you.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“My problem is that I am very protective of my little sister.  I also trust my friends. If they even hint that you aren’t welcome around her, then I’m going to believe them.”  Sebastian was glaring at Mack. He could see right through his act.

 

Leah ran once she was around the corner.  She didn’t want to leave Seb alone with Mack.  She knew Seb could lose his patience pretty quickly.  Especially when he was in a protective mode. She heard the singing and ran into the room.  Everyone stopped and Kurt and Sam stood right away, sensing something was wrong.

“Where’s Bas?!”  Kurt asked in a hurry.

“Mack!”  She said as she pointed down the hall.  

Kurt and Sam took off out the door first, with the rest of the guys closely behind them.  The girls all followed out next. Sugar grabbed Leah by the hand as they left.

 

“Yeah, well, around here, I tend to do what I want, and who I want.  You and your friends have no say in the matter.” Mack spat.

“You will not lay a finger on my sister.  Do you understand me?” Sebastian stepped closer to Mack.

“Oh, it will be more than a finger.”  Mack glared. He was extremely frustrated that he wasn’t getting what he wanted.  The girl was gorgeous, and he wanted her more than anyone he’s ever went after.

Sebastian growled and stepped closer.  

Kurt and Sam came running around the corner. “Bas!”  Kurt called. When he reached Sebastian, he grabbed his arm and pulled him back.  

Sam stepped up to Mack.  “You need to leave, Mack.  Leave my girlfriend and her brother alone.”

“Still won’t say her name, huh?”  Mack sneered.

“Go.”  Sam growled.  At this point the rest of the Glee Club came running up behind them.  Finn, Puck, and Mike hovered right behind Sam. Kurt pulled Sebastian back even further, and Leah grabbed his other arm, assisting Kurt.  

Mack looked past Sam at the other guys. “Alright.  I can take a hint. But I won’t promise anything for the next time I see you.”  Mack backed up and then turned to walk away.

Sam didn’t even blink, and turned to Sebastian.  “You okay?”

“If he touches her…”  Sebastian had still not calmed down.  There was something in the nasty tone of Mack’s snide remarks.  He didn’t trust him. Maybe it was being overprotective. But then again, his gut was right about Blaine and Andrew.  He was afraid Leah wouldn’t be able to protect herself as much as Kurt could. Even with Kurt being strong, his situation proved that sometimes that just isn’t enough.

“He won’t.”  Kurt said, and he Leah pulled Sebastian back into the choir room, and soon the rest of the group followed.  

Kurt grabbed Sebastian’s face, “You cannot fight him.  Or anyone else for that matter. You’re 18! You’d be arrested, and then there goes med school!”

Sebastian sighed, “I know, but you should have seen the way he looked at her.  Like she’s a piece of meat. And the way he talks about her…”

“If we’re around, you don’t need to worry about Leah.”  Sam said.

Sebastian looked at Sam and nodded, “I know, Sam.  And thank you for stepping up.” He went over and gave a Sam a quick hug.  Leah smiled at the two of them.

Once everyone was talking, Leah went to Sam.  “Thanks for helping Seb out, Sam. And for helping me the other night after the game.  I really appreciate it.”

Sam smiled.  “I’ll pretend to be your boyfriend any time, Leah.”  He winked at her, and she blushed a bit. They both really wished they didn’t have to pretend.

 

……………

 

Thanksgiving Break came for everyone by Wednesday.  Kurt and Sebastian spent time with each other and their families for the rest of the week. Kurt enjoyed Black Friday shopping with Sugar and Leah. Leah loved shopping with them. They both found the best deals and Kurt really knew what would look best on Leah without her even having to try anything on.  They ended up getting a lot of new clothes for themselves, as well as a large amount of Christmas shopping finished.

On Saturday, everyone went their separate directions.  Leah returned to Mandy’s house for another sleepover. Kurt and Sebastian went on a date in Westerville.  Sugar and Puck went on a date in Lima. Sam was just getting home from his trip to see his family in Kentucky for the holiday.  

When Sam got home, he was surprised to see Finn in the living room playing video games and pigging out on potato chips.  

“What is going on?  I figured you’d be out with Rachel.”  

“Man, we got in a fight.”  Finn said as he shoved another handful of chips in his mouth.

“Sorry, dude.  What happened?”

Finn paused the game and sighed, “I don’t even know.  Apparently I said something wrong, but I don’t even know what.”

Sam chuckled.  “Well man, I’ll join in the game.  We can hang out here all night.”

“Yeah, dude.  Thanks.”

 

Leah was hanging out with Mandy in Mandy’s bedroom.  They were listening to music and Leah was fixing Mandy’s hair like Kurt had fixed hers at the sleepover.  

“You are going to love your hair like this, Mandy.  I hope I can do it the same way Kurt did mine.”

“Kurt is a friend of yours?  You haven’t talked about him much.”  Mandy said.

Leah paused and frowned.  “I haven’t? That’s weird.  Seb and I are really close. I can’t believe I haven’t told you about him.”

Mandy grinned, “You’ve told me you have a brother, Sebastian, who goes to Dalton Academy, but that’s about it.  I don’t know who Kurt is.”

“Huh.  I guess we really haven’t talked about our families much, have we?  I don’t even know anything about Paul. We need to talk about us more.  I guess we’ve been caught up in the gossip of school and the things we like.”  Leah shrugged.

Mandy said, “So tell me about Sebastian.”

Leah smiled, “Well, we’re really close. Sebastian is a senior.  He’s amazing. He’s handsome, talented, fun. He wants to be a doctor, and will likely go to Columbia next year.  He’s very protective of me. So is Kurt. Oh, Seb’s gay, and his boyfriend, Kurt, is amazing.”

Mandy raised an eyebrow.  “Your family is okay with that?  Him being gay?”

Leah made a face, “Of course.  We all accept Seb exactly the way he is.  And Kurt is part of our family now. We expect him to be for a very long time.  Actually, I think they are end-game. They’re perfect for each other.”

Mandy grinned, “So what is Kurt like?”

Leah paused, “Kurt is harder to describe.  He doesn’t fit into any category. He’s handsome, talented, and fun too, like Seb.  His best guy friends are all the stars of McKinley’s football team, which he used to play on, but he’s also a cheerleader and friends with them.  He sings, and has an amazing voice that can go higwher than I’ve ever heard any guy go, and then low too. He has sleepovers with his girl friends, and can do hair, nails, and makeup like a professional.  His fashion sense is amazing. He’s a sweetheart. I’m so lucky he’s in my life. So is Seb, obviously. And Seb is head over heels.” Leah smiled. “So tell me about Paul.”

Mandy said, “Well Paul and I aren’t really close.  He’s okay, I guess. He goes to OSU, and is majoring in business.  He’ll probably switch majors. He doesn’t have much direction. He’s been home most of the week, and I’ve barely seen him or talked to him.”

Leah frowned, “Really?  Wow. I’ve spent tons of time with Seb, Kurt, and their friends.  Actually, now they all consider me their friend too. It’s been great for Seb and I.  Especially since we didn’t really know anyone here, since we were in France for so long.  Sebastian and Kurt met like two weeks after we moved back, and Kurt came with a ton of friends.”  She giggled. “His best friend, Sugar, and I have actually become good friends.”

Mandy sighed, “I’m jealous.”

 

Kurt and Sebastian were enjoying a nice meal at Northstar Cafe in Uptown Westerville. The atmosphere was nice, and it had a lot of college students from Otterbein University hanging around.  It felt young and hip, and it made Kurt anxious for New York.

Sebastian grinned, “What are you thinking about?  You look like your daydreaming.”

Kurt snapped out of it, “Oh, sorry.  I was, kind of. I just really like the feeling here. It makes me hopeful of New York next year.  This place is so different than Lima, and we aren’t that far away.”

“I think it’s just because we’re in Uptown.  College town feel, ya know?” Sebastian paused for a minute.  “Do you have any idea what you want next year? For us?” The question made him nervous for some reason.

“What do you mean?”  Kurt didn’t understand where Sebastian was going with this.

“Do you think things will change?  You finally get to get out of Lima, and into the big city.  Will you still want...us?” Sebastian looked shy and nervous.  Completely unlike the Sebastian Kurt was used to.

Kurt frowned and leaned forward, grabbing Sebastian’s hand, “Bas, I will always want us.  Nothing will ever change that. I love you. Not just for our senior year, not just for now.  I can’t imagine my life without you. I want to go to New York together. You and me.”

Sebastian sighed in relief.  “I love you too, Babe. I want that too.  I want us to live together in New York. Is that something you would want?”

“I’d love that, Bas.  We’re going to have very busy schedules.  I think living together will help keep us close.  Otherwise, I think finding time to go out, or come to each other’s apartments or dorms, would just add to the stress.”

“Perfect.” Sebastian smiled.

 

Leah and Mandy went downstairs to the kitchen to get some snacks to take back to Mandy’s room.  Paul came bursting through the front door with some of his friends. They were laughing and carrying on. The girls didn’t really pay much attention.  Paul came up to Mandy and asked, “Where’s Mom. I need to borrow some money. We’re going out.”

“She left a little bit ago.  I don’t know where she went or what time she’ll be back.  She just said, ‘in a little bit’” Mandy answered.

“Shit.  And dad’s out of town.”  Paul sighed. “Do you have any money I can use?  I’ll get Mom to pay you back.”

 Mandy rolled her eyes.  “I think I have, like, twenty bucks.  Hold on, I’ll go get it.” She left to go upstairs to her room.

Paul looked at Leah for the first time.  He raised his eyebrows at the sight of her. “Hi, I’m Paul. Mandy’s brother.” He stuck out his hand for her to shake.

Leah gave him a polite smile, “I’m Leah.”

“Well, well, well… She does have a name.  Leah…” A voice from behind Paul said.

Leah got chills.  Shit. What was she going to do?  Hopefully Paul was nice, and wouldn’t let Mack cross the line.  

“You two know each other?”  Paul asked.

“Yes,”  Leah said quickly, “He goes to my boyfriend’s school.”  She looked at him with her best bitch face.

Someone yelled for Paul from the other room.  “Just a minute!” Paul yelled. He looked at the two of them and then turned to leave.  

Mack grinned like a villain from a cartoon show.  “So. Alone at last.”

“You will be alone... as soon as I leave.” Leah turned to go back upstairs, but Mack grabbed her arm.

“Where do you think you’re going?”  Mack drawled. Leah could smell alcohol on his breath.  

“Let go of me!”  She yelled.

Another friend came in and before he could say anything, Mack turned to him and said, “Tell Paul we’re staying in for the night.”  The friend sighed and retreated to the other room again. “I think we need to get to know each other a little better...Leah Smythe.”  Mack sneered.

“I don’t think so.  Get. Off.” Leah pulled her arm away and ran toward the stairs.  She ran right into Mandy.

“Where are you going?”  Mandy asked.

“We need to stay upstairs.  They’ve been drinking.” Leah answered.  

“Alright.  Let me give this money to Paul.”  Mandy walked out of the kitchen to find her brother.

“I’ll join you upstairs if you want, Leah Smythe.”  Mack smiled as he wiggled his eyebrows.

“No,”  was all Leah could get out.  She turned and ran upstairs, shutting and locking Mandy’s bedroom door.  She stayed up there for at least thirty minutes, and Mandy never came back.  

Leah wasn’t sure what to do.  What if they were messing with Mandy?  She unlocked the door and quietly walked down the steps, peaking around the door of the kitchen.  There Mandy was, in the middle of Paul and his friends, drinking. She had obviously had several drinks, and wasn’t standing straight.  Leah was debating whether she should go back upstairs and call for someone to pick her up, or is she should go and grab Mandy, who obviously wasn’t thinking clearly, and go back upstairs with her and lock the bedroom door.

Before she made up her mind, Mack quietly walked up behind her and put his hands on her hips.  “Want to join the party, Leah Smythe?” he slurred.

Leah jerked back.  She started to run upstairs, but Mack grabbed her wrist.  “Come on, Leah. You’ll like me if you give me a chance.”

“Doubt it.  Let go.” She pulled her arm away and ran upstairs.  Mack followed her, but tripped on the stairs in his drunken state.  

She reached Mandy’s room and slammed the door.  She locked it, and then put a chair under the doorknob.

Mack started banging on the door and wiggling the knob.  “Come on, Leah! I just want to talk! I promise!” Mack yelled, and then he chuckled.  

The sound of that chuckle made Leah want to throw up.

She grabbed her phone and then went into the closet and closed the door.  She dialed Sebastian.

 

Sebastian was paying the bill when his phone rang. He picked it up and frowned when he saw it was Leah.  She was at Mandy’s and she knew he was on a date with Kurt. Why would she be calling? Kurt didn’t like the concerned look on Sebastian’s face.

“Leah?  Are you okay?”

“No Seb.  I need you to come get me.”

Sebastian threw money on top of the bill as he asked, “What’s wrong?”  He and Kurt quickly stood and rushed out of the restaurant.

“Mack is friends with Paul, Mandy’s brother.  They’re here and they’ve been drinking. Now Mandy is drinking too.  I went to get her, but Mack grabbed me.”

“Fuck!  Did he hurt you?!”  Sebastian started the corvette, and peeled out of the parking lot.  Kurt was worried sick. He couldn’t hear what was happening.

“No, but he won’t leave me alone.  I locked myself in her room, and now I’m in the closet.  Her mom isn’t here!”  Leah sounded so scared.

“Stay on the phone with me.  We’re on our way.” He turned to Kurt.  “Baby, Mack is at Mandy’s.  He’s been drinking and won’t leave her alone.  Leah locked herself in the bedroom. Call the guys. They’re closer.”

Kurt’s eyes were huge.  “Shit!” He quickly dialed Sam.

“Hey Kurt!”  Sam answered.

“Sam, Leah’s in trouble.  She’s at her friend’s house and Mack showed up drunk.  You guys are closer, we’re in Westerville.”

“Shit!  Where is she?!”  Sam was immediately up and putting on his shoes.  He grabbed the keys and yelled for Finn to come with him.

Kurt gave him the address quickly and then hung up to call Puck.  

Puck answered on the second ring.  “What’s up, Princess?”

“Noah, we need your help!”  Kurt explained the situation and gave him the address.  

“We’re on our way.  Is Finn with Sam?  If the brother has friends with him, it may be harder to get her out than we might think.”

“Yes, he is.  Thanks, Noah.”

“Anything for family.”  Puck answered. Puck didn’t have much of a family, just him and a mostly absent mom, so his friends really were his family.

 

Sam and Finn got to Mandy’s house first.  They didn’t knock, they walked right in and saw two boys and a girl they assumed was Mandy, drinking and laughing in the living room.  They didn’t see Mack or Leah, and Sam’s stomach dropped.

The group in the living room stopped when they saw these strange guys in the living room.

“Who the hell are you?”  Paul asked.

“We’re here to pick Leah up.”  Finn said. Sam didn’t say anything.  He continued walking around, opening doors until he found where he needed to go.

He walked through the kitchen and found the stairs. “Finn!”  He called, so Finn would know where to go.

Sam leaped up the stairs two at a time, and called out for Leah.  “Leah! Where are you?”

Leah thought she heard her name, but wasn’t sure.  She opened the closet door and went into the bedroom to listen.  

  
“Leah!”  Sam called.

“Sam?!”  Leah yelled. She quickly spoke to Sebastian, “Sam’s here.  I’ll see you soon,”  and she hung up.

Mack stood up from sitting outside the bedroom door when he saw Sam.  “So. Leah Smythe’s boyfriend.”

“That’s right, asshole.  Move over.  Leah, stay in there for a minute!”  Sam yelled to her.

“Oh, I’m not going anywhere.”  Mack said.

Finn had found them and stood behind Sam.  Mack sighed.

“Mack, go downstairs to your friends.  I’m getting Leah and we’re leaving.” Sam said sternly.

Mack laughed, “No.”

“Sam, please, get me out of here.”  Leah said through the door.

 

Downstairs, Paul and his friends barely remembered that Sam and Finn had been there.

Puck and Sugar arrived next.  They didn’t knock either.  Puck went running through the house, and Sugar went straight to Mandy.

“Mandy?  I’m Sugar.  You need to come with me, okay, Honey?”

“Sugar?  Leah has a friend named Sugar.  Hey, where’s Leah?” Mandy looked around like she had lost a pencil in class, not a person.

“Yes, I’m Leah’s friend. The guys are going to get her.  You and I are going to wait in the car. Come on, Honey.”  She put her arm around Mandy and started to lead her out.

Paul realized what was going on.  “Hey! You can’t take my sister!”

Sugar stopped and turned around, “I can, and I will.  You shouldn’t be letting her drink! She’s safer with me than she is with you.”

 

Upstairs Sam and Finn were standing their ground against Mack.  

“Move over before I force you to move, Mack!”  Sam yelled.

Mack stepped forward and said, “Try it.”

Sam punched Mack square in the jaw.  He fell back and hit the door, making Leah jump on the other side.  

Finn grabbed Mack and held him against the wall with his forearm pressed against his neck.  “Don’t. Move.” Finn spat.

Puck ran up the stairs, “Everything okay?”  Finn shook his head ‘yes’, so Puck ran back to Sugar.

“Leah, open the door.”  Sam said.

Leah grabbed her bag, moved the chair and opened the door.  She looked up at Sam with tears in her eyes, and jumped into his arms.  “Thank god.” She said.

Sam held her tight for a few seconds before wrapping his arm around her and turning to walk away.  “Let’s get out of here.”

 

Downstairs, Sugar was trying to get Mandy away from the two boys.  Puck ran into the room.

He grabbed Sugar’s hand.  “Let’s go, Sugar.”

“We’re bringing Mandy with us.  I can’t leave her here.” She said.  

“Of course.”  Puck looked at the two boys, “Is there a problem with that?”

Paul’s friend looked at Puck, then at his muscles, and shook his head ‘no’ as he went to sit down.

Paul frowned, “Why should I let you take my sister?”

“Because you’re drunk.  And you shouldn’t be stupid enough to let her drink.  She’s safer with us. We’ll sober her up and bring her back tomorrow.  I’ll even leave a note for your mom.” Puck said calmly.

“Yeah, whatever.”  Paul said, taking a swig of his beer.

 

Sam and Leah came down the stairs.  Finn followed closely, holding Mack by the shirt collar.  Puck, Sugar, and Mandy came into the kitchen as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

Puck asked Leah, “You okay?”  She nodded ‘yes’. “Do you know where there’s paper?  We need to leave Mandy’s mom a note. She’s going with us.”

“I think on the fridge.”  Leah said quietly. She refused the let go of Sam, who had a tight grip on her.

Puck found the paper and pen attached to the fridge and left the mom a note.

 

_Dear Mandy’s Mom,_

_While you left your daughter and her friend at home, your asshole son came home drunk with his friends.  One harassed Leah and we had to come get her. Your son got your daughter drunk, so we took her with us instead of leaving her here with 3 drunk assholes.  We’ll return her sober tomorrow._

 

“Let’s go.”  Puck said when he was finished.  He helped Sugar hold Mandy up.

Finn walked Mack to the couch and shoved him down into it.  “If you get up from that spot, I’ll make sure the next time you try to stand, it’s on crutches.”  Mack nodded that he understood.

 

Sam and Leah were out the door first.  As soon as the rest were following, Sebastian and Kurt came flying into the driveway.

“Oh, thank gaga.”  Kurt said when he saw the group.

Sebastian said nothing, but jumped out of the car and ran to his sister.  She let go of Sam and reached for Seb and started crying. He held her tight.  “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

“No.  He didn’t hurt me.  I was just so scared.”

“It’s okay.  It’s okay.” He held her and stroked her hair.

Kurt looked at Mandy, “Are you okay?”  Mandy didn’t answer.

“She’s drunk, Angel.  Really drunk.  She was drinking with her brother and his friend when we got there.  I couldn’t leave her.” Sugar answered.

"It was the right thing to do, Sugar.  We'll sober her up."  Kurt sighed.  He looked at Sam, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, man.  I’m good.” Sam answered.  

Leah turned to look at him.  She let go of Sebastian and went to him.  She didn’t say anything at first. She just wrapped her arms around him and cried into his shoulder.  “Thank you, Sam,” she said after a few minutes. “I was so relieved when I heard your voice.”

Sam didn’t say anything in return.  He just held on tight.

“We better go, guys.”  Finn said.

Kurt grabbed Sebastian’s hand, “Let’s have a sleepover at the Hummel-Hudson-Evans casa.  We’ll sober Mandy up, and relax. I think we could all use it.”

 

Back at Kurt’s house, Burt and Carol had just gotten home from dinner when the whole gang came walking in.  

“What’s going on?”  Burt said.

Kurt quickly explained the situation to Burt and Carol.  “So,” he said as he finished, “I’d like everyone to stay.  We’ll take Mandy home in the morning.”

“That’s fine, Honey.”  Carol said. “Is there anything I can get anyone?”

“Maybe some water for Mandy.  And some Aspirin.” Sugar said.  

 

Finn changed the sheets on his bed and let the Leah and Mandy sleep in his room, while he took the couch in the living room.  He gave them both a t-shirt that they basically wore as a nightgown. Kurt and Sebastian set up an air mattress in Kurt’s room for Sugar and Puck.  

Everyone met back in the living room to watch a movie so they could relax a little before going to bed.  Mandy hadn’t said a word all night, but sat in a chair with Leah in the chair next to her. Sam sat on the floor in front of Leah and Finn laid in the floor in front of the coffee table.  Sugar and Puck cuddled on the couch, and Sebastian sat on the other end next to Sugar.

Kurt decided that instead of squeezing into the space between his boyfriend and his best friend, he would sit on the floor at Sebastian’s feet.  He knelt down facing Sebastian. Seb ran his fingers through Kurt’s hair and then down his face as he looked lovingly into his eyes. This was not a sexual gesture, like it sometime could be.  He knew how upset Sebastian had been. They didn’t need to talk about it for Kurt to know. Kneeling for him was a way for Kurt to say he was there if he needed him, and he would do whatever Sebastian needed.   Kurt rubbed his hand over Seb’s knee, and then turned to watch the movie.

 

After the movie, everyone made their way to bed.  Sebastian went to Sam’s room and knocked.

“Come in.”  Sam said. He was sitting on the edge of his bed.

“You okay?”  Sebastian asked.

“Yeah, man.  I think I’ve settled down.”  Sam said.

“What happened?”

“When we got there, we went in the house without knocking and I was yelling for Leah.  Leah had locked herself in Mandy’s room. She even put a chair up against the door under the doorknob.  I made my way upstairs and Mack was outside Mandy’s door, trying to get Leah to open it. I tried to talk to him, get him to move, but he wouldn’t.  Leah heard me. She asked me to get her out. She sounded so scared.” Sam took a deep breath. “So when he wouldn’t move, I punched him. Finn pinned him up against the wall, and I had Leah open the door.  We came downstairs and Sugar and Puck had Mandy. We left a note for Mandy’s mom saying we were taking the girls and left. That’s when you got there.”

Sebastian sat down on Sam’s bed next to him, “Sam, thank you for helping her tonight.  I’m glad you were able to get there so soon. She trusts you. She actually has a bit of a crush on you, and has for awhile now.”  Sam blushed. “I have a feeling you like her too.”

“Yeah, I do.  But I know how protective you are of her.  And I don’t want to mess with our friendship or anything.”

“Well I’m not sure how I feel about her dating at all.  I’d like her to wait till she’s 30,” he chuckled, “And I don’t know how a relationship would work with you guys being so far away from each other.  But I will say… I won’t stand in the way. If you two decide to give a try, I’d be happy if she chose you.”

Sam smiled, “Seriously?”  Sebastian nodded. “Wow, man.  Thanks. That means a lot coming from you.  Thanks.”

Sebastian smiled, “You’re welcome.  Now can I borrow some clothes again?”

 

Sebastian went to check on Leah and Mandy in Finn’s room.  

“Are you okay?”

“I’m good, Seb.  Thank you.” Leah said as she hugged her brother.  

“You’re welcome.  We’re lucky to have these guys in our corner.”

“Yes, we are.”

Sebastian looked at Mandy, “Are you okay, Mandy?  Need anything?”

“I’m okay.  Thank you.  And… I’m sorry.”

Sebastian nodded and then headed downstairs to Kurt.  When he got there, Puck and Sugar were already in bed.  Puck was wearing Finn’s clothes, and Sugar was wearing Kurt’s.  Kurt was already under the covers, and Sebastian crawled in.

“Is everything okay, Bas?”

“Yeah, Babe, it’s fine.  Thanks for tonight.” He kissed Kurt on the forehead.  “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

“No sex while we’re in the room!”  Puck said from his bed. They all giggled and drifted off to sleep.


	24. Struck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes when people don't get what they want, they attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for some violence. Also, warning for derogatory names (because people can be assholes).
> 
> Comments and Kudos welcome! I headed back to work after a week off. Hoping to still get a chapter or two in a week, but won't be as often as last week. Thanks for sticking with me!

The next morning, Sebastian woke up with Kurt in his arms. It was his favorite way to wake up. Remembering his conversation with Kurt from the night before made him smile. He couldn’t wait to live with Kurt in New York. Waking up with him in his arms every day...That would be amazing. He began stroking Kurt’s back, mindlessly as he daydreamed about New York. Kurt stirred, pulling Sebastian from his daydream. He looked down at him and kissed his forehead.  
“Mmm, morning, Bas.”  
“Good morning, Baby.”  
Sebastian looked down onto the air mattress and saw Puck fast asleep with Sugar in his arms. He nudged Kurt and gestured toward Puck and Sugar.  
Kurt put a finger to his mouth, letting Sebastian know to stay quiet, and then grabbed his phone and snapped a picture. He’d text it Sugar later after everyone woke up.  
“I’m going to go shower quick and then start breakfast.” Kurt kissed Seb on the cheek and then got up.  
“Okay, Babe. I think I’ll see if anyone is in the shower upstairs.”

Puck woke up while Kurt was in the shower. He looked down at Sugar in his arms and smiled. He loved her so much. He hadn’t said it yet, but he did. He thought about last night. If that had been Sugar in Leah’s position, or god forbid, if she had been in Kurt’s position from the night at Scandals, he would literally kill someone. He tightened his grip protectively on her sleeping body and kissed the top of her head.  
Sugar stirred, “Good morning, Puck.”  
“Mmm, good morning, Sugar.” He rubbed her back.  
Sugar looked up at him and kissed him just as Kurt walked out in his towel.  
“Aaahh,” Kurt teased, “Let me get dressed and leave before you do anything else!”  
They giggled.

Kurt was in the kitchen starting the pancakes when Sugar came in. She had washed up and gotten ready. She wore the pants she had on the night before, and one of Kurt’s shirts tied up so it fit her better. Her hair was in a messy bun, and she had used Kurt’s Cheerios makeup to at least have her eyes done.  
Kurt looked at her and smiled. “Only you could wear my old clothes and make it work. You’re adorable.” She walked over to him and he hugged her. He held her in his arms for awhile and kissed her forehead. “I love you.”  
“Love you too, Angel.” She smiled.  
“Uhh, are we interrupting something? Should I be worried?” Puck said as he and Sebastian walked in on them.  
“You know if I was straight, you wouldn’t even stand a chance, Noah.” Kurt winked.  
“Well thank god you aren’t straight.” Sebastian smirked.  
Puck playfully hit Sebastian in the arm, “Lucky you, and lucky me.” He smiled, “Of course, if I were gay, you wouldn’t stand a chance, Seb.”  
Sebastian smiled, “I’d fight for him, trust me.”  
Kurt smiled and looked down at Sugar, who was still in his arms. “Help me make breakfast?”  
“Of course, Angel.”

Once the smell of breakfast wafted through the house, everyone began to wake, and slowly made their way downstairs. Puck and Sebastian were setting the table in the dining room when Burt walked in.  
“Mornin’ boys.”  
“Good morning, Burt.” They both responded in unison. Burt just smiled and shook his head.  
Everyone started filing into the dinning room and Kurt and Sugar began bringing in trays of food. Sebastian and Puck went into the kitchen to help them carry out the rest.  
They had made pancakes, scrambled eggs, muffins, bacon, and sausage.  
“Smells so good, Babe.” Sebastian said as he passed Kurt, kissing him on temple as he did.  
“Make sure you save room for one of Sugar’s muffins.” He winked.  
Kurt went to get some Aspirin and handed it to Mandy as she walked in. “Thanks” she whispered.  
“You’re welcome, Sweetie.” Kurt smiled softly at her.  
Everyone was sitting around, passing the food. Once things were settled, Leah spoke up.  
“I just wanted to thank everyone for coming to get me last night. You have all been amazing to both Seb and I. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for everything you’ve done. We are so lucky to have you in our lives.” She looked at Sam when she said that last part. He smiled at her and winked. She felt butterflies.  
“Well, now you understand what I meant when I told you that you were part of our family, right?” Kurt said and Leah nodded. “As a family, we’re here for each other, no matter what. And that includes you.” He smiled at her.  
Puck piped up, “I’ve never really had a ‘real’ family. My mom is only around occasionally. Dad left years ago, and I don’t know of any siblings, but knowing what I know about my dad, I’m sure there are some. This,” he gestured to the group around the table, “is my family. I can’t imagine blood families being much closer. So just know, Kurt isn’t kidding. We do anything for each other.” Puck was not ashamed of any of what he said. He owned it.  
Finn chuckled, “We’re kinda like the MOB, but without the bad stuff.” Everyone laughed.  
After a few minutes of watching everyone interact, Mandy finally spoke up, “I’m really sorry, everyone. I felt really pressured when my brother wanted me to drink. I felt like we were finally getting along when I said ‘yes’ to it. I wanted to feel close to him, like Leah says she is to Sebastian,” Seb looked at her and smiled sadly at her. “And I should have never done it with Leah there. I’m so sorry.” She looked at Sugar, “Thank you, Sugar, for making sure I was safe.”  
“You’re welcome, Honey.” Sugar said as she shrugged. It was as if she would do it for anyone. And really, she probably would.  
Carol replied, “They don’t come any better than this bunch,” she gestured to the group, “And none of them would have left you there if they felt you were in danger. But I hope you did learn a lesson. What you did was pretty careless.”  
“Yes, ma’am.” Mandy said.  
“And what about this Mack kid? Is he going to be an issue for you guys at school?” Burt asked.  
“I don’t think so. I’m hoping he gave up on Leah last night. Hopefully he moves on.” Sam said.  
“Well, I think in this case, it’s probably a good thing you go to school pretty far away, Leah.” Burt said.  
“I still don’t trust him. I get the same feeling about him that did about Blaine and Andrew.” Sebastian said.  
“Who is Andrew?” Burt frowned.  
Kurt looked at Seb and rolled his eyes. Sebastian sighed, hoping he hadn’t just said too much, “He’s a guy that was hitting on Kurt at Lima Bean. He was talking to Kurt when I came out of the restroom. He wasn’t backing down when Kurt told him to leave him alone. At least for awhile.” He turned to look at Kurt.  
Kurt added, “When he insulted Bas, it crossed the line, so I got in his face. He left.” He shrugged and tried to make it sound as simple as he could.  
Burt sighed in frustration, “Don’t get in anyone’s face! You know what that lead to with Karofsky.”  
Sebastian quickly added, “I was right there with him, and Kurt handled himself really well.”  
“I won’t ever do that when I’m alone with someone, Dad. Not again, I promise.” Kurt added.  
“I know, Kiddo. I just worry about all of you. You’ve been through hell with two guys, and now this Andrew character showed up. And Leah has an issue with Mack. What is wrong with these people?”  
“I’ve never seen Andrew again. It was a one-time thing.” Kurt said.  
“That’s why it’s important that we’re all here for each other.” Sam said.  
“Nothing will happen to Kurt when he’s at school with us there.” Finn added. “And Mack doesn’t know where Leah goes to school.”  
Something dawned on Sam. “But he does know her name now.” He looked at Sebastian.  
“He kept calling me by my full name last night...Like he was taunting me with it.” Leah said.  
Kurt looked at Sebastian. What could they do? There wasn’t enough against Mack for a restraining order. They didn’t go to the same school, where they could look out for her.  
“Hopefully with you’re school being so far away, that will deter him. And maybe he’s given up already. And I hate to break it to you, but you won’t be going back to Mandy’s house.” He looked at Mandy, “No offense, Mandy.”  
“None taken.” She answered.  
“Well, definitely let your parents know too, okay Leah?” Carol said. Leah nodded in response since she had her mouth full.  
The rest of breakfast was eaten in relative silence. Everyone was deep in thought.

Everyone was almost finished with breakfast when Sebastian was eating his muffin. He looked over to Sugar, “Sugar, I wonder if you could sell these at Dalton. They really are incredible. I’d say better than most we had in Paris.”  
Sugar lit up. “Thanks, Seb! I’d love to sell them. It would help me save up some money.”  
“I’ll look into whether or not it’s allowed. I know they would be a huge hit.”  
Kurt looked at his boyfriend and best friend, and then around the room at everyone. He really did love them all.

…………..

Monday at school, Kurt was still wearing his Cheerio uniform. Football season may be over, but cheer wasn’t. They still had a couple of competitions left if they made it to Nationals. He was on his way to his third class of the day when it happened. His entire right side hit the locker, including his head. He was so stunned that he couldn’t focus. His entire body slid down the lockers and crumpled on the floor.  
Although he couldn’t focus, he did hear some people talking. He heard things about ‘dead’, and ‘coach’, and ‘boyfriend’, and ‘Puck’, and ‘Finn’ from people who knew he was off limits.  
Suddenly, someone was grabbing him, helping him up. “Oh my gosh, Kurt, are you okay?” Mercedes’ voice felt like velvet to his ears.  
“No. I don’t know. Who was that?”  
“I don’t know. I didn’t see it happen. Locker check?”  
He nodded in response.  
“I just saw you when I turned the corner. I’m surprised it happened since you’re in uniform. Do you need to go to the nurse?” Mercedes asked.  
“Yeah, I think I do. My head.” Kurt said as he squeezed his eyes shut.  
Mercedes reached up to touch Kurt on the side of the head. When she pulled her hand away, there was blood. “Come on, Kurt. I’ll walk you to the nurse. Your bleeding.”

At lunch, Kurt sat with an ice pack on his head, and he wasn’t eating.  
Puck sat down next to him, joined by Sugar. Sam sat across from him with Finn.  
“Got a headache, Princess?” Puck asked.  
“You could say that.” Kurt said and didn’t look up.  
“Hmm. Nope. Something else is wrong.” Sam said. “Plus, you need to eat.”  
“Here, Angel. At least eat this.” Sugar handed him a yogurt. He really didn’t want to, but he knew Sebastian would be upset if he didn’t. He accepted the yogurt and began to eat.  
“I got a locker check.” Kurt mumbled. “A hard one.”  
Puck frowned, his face turning red. He lifted the sleeve of Kurt’s uniform, and there were bruises. “What the fuck! Who did this?”  
“I don’t know, but I have a guess.” Kurt said quietly. Sam, Puck, and Finn all looked at each other in anger. “Please don’t tell Sebastian,” Kurt added. “He’s already so stressed about Leah. He’s been so focused on me the last couple of months, now Leah, and he doesn’t need any more stress. He needs to focus on his work. He needs good grades to get into Med School.”  
“Sorry, Princess. Not happening. I’ll give you till the end of the day to tell him, but if you don’t, I will. If something happened to Sugar, and nobody told me, I’d be pissed.” Puck said. Sugar leaned into her boyfriend, and he wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.  
“He’s right, Angel. Seb needs to know.”  
“What’s this I hear about a locker check?” Santana growled as she walked up. “Who do I need to castrate?”  
“We don’t know, but we have a good idea.” Finn answered. “Mack.”  
Santana stomped off. Nobody knew where she went, but they were pretty sure she was looking for Mack.

Kurt was on his way to the fifth class of the day when Coach Sylvester stepped out in front of him.  
“Hi, Coach.”  
“As soon as you find out who it was, you tell me,” she growled as she walked away.  
“Yes, Coach.” Kurt said to nobody, since she had already walked away.

That evening, Sebastian called Kurt. He answered on the third ring.  
“Hi, Bas.”  
“You sound tired, Baby. Are you okay?” Sebastian asked softly.  
“I’m fine.” Kurt seemed to lack any emotion in his voice.  
“Mmm. Then why did Puck text me and ask if I had spoken to you yet? I thought it was strange that I hadn’t heard from you. I texted you after school, but didn’t hear back. Talk to me, Kurt.”  
Kurt sighed. “I want to, Bas. But you’re already stressed, and I don’t need to add to that. You need to focus on your school work.”  
“I can’t focus if I’m constantly wondering if there’s something my boyfriend is keeping from me.”  
Kurt took a deep breath. “Yeah, okay.” He calms his nerves. Well, he tried to calm his nerves. “I got a locker check today. A hard one.”  
“Oh my god, Babe. Are you okay?” Seb stood from his bed, sounding worried. There was pause, and Kurt didn’t answer. “Babe…?”  
Kurt let out a shaky breath, “Not really. I have bruises on my shoulder, arm, and hip. I cut my head.” Tears started to well in his eyes, and Sebastian could hear it in his voice.  
“Shit. Was it Mack?” Sebastian was pacing the floor of his dorm.  
“I don’t know. I didn’t see who it was. And I could barely focus afterward.” He paused, “It’s been so long. I forgot how much they hurt. This one was extra hard, though.” He let a tear fall, both for the pain, and for the memories.  
“I’m so sorry, Kurt. What do you need me to do, Babe?”  
“Honestly? I need you to focus on school.”  
“Babe, I have all A’s right now. School isn’t really hard for me. I will always have time for you.”  
“But I come with more baggage than the normal boyfriend.” Kurt said, as tears continued to flow.  
“Baby, listen to me.” His tone was low and  serious. “I love you. I would do anything for you. I don’t care how many issues come along with loving you. I will do whatever it takes to make you happy. My happiness, comes from your happiness. Do you understand?”  
“Yes, Sebastian.”  
“Good. Have you been eating?” Sebastian asked.  
“Yes. Some. Sugar made me eat her yogurt at lunch, and I had a little bit of dinner. You can thank Sam for that.” Sebastian could practically hear Kurt’s eyes roll. He had to smirk, he couldn’t help it.  
“Good.”

When he was off the phone with Kurt, Sebastian texted Puck.  
To Puck:  
Just talked to Kurt. Keep an extra eye on him for me. I’m sure it’s Mack. Thanks for the heads up.  
To Sebastian:  
You’re welcome. And we’re already on it.

…………

The next couple days, Kurt had his wall of friends around him again. Coach Sylvester also made her presence known in the hallways. Mack could feel everyone’s eyes on him. There wasn’t a class or corner of the school where he didn’t have a Glee Club member or a Cheerio watching him.

On Wednesday, Sebastian went to pick Kurt up for their normal coffee date, but instead of waiting by the car, he headed into the gym to watch the end of practice. Really, he wanted to make sure Kurt was left alone on his way out. He couldn’t be there all of the time for Kurt, but when he was, he was going to BE there.  
Coach Sylvester spotted him in the bleachers and went up and sat beside him.  
“You know, we’re all keeping an eye on him. And if I find out who did it, they will pay.” Coach said as she watched her squad, not bothering to look at Sebastian. He was taken back by the normalcy of how she was saying it.  
“Thank you. I have a good idea of who it is.”  
Coach raised an eyebrow. “Who?”  
“Mack Robinson. He’s been hitting on my sister and not taking ‘no’ for an answer. We had to go pick her up from a friend’s house the other night when he showed up drunk and wouldn’t leave her alone. I think he wants revenge. Sam ended up punching him to be able to get Leah out of the room she had locked herself in. I think he knows he can’t take Sam, so he’s going after Kurt.”  
“Well, he won’t get revenge. Not if I have anything to say about it. I’ll keep an eye out.”  
“Thanks, Coach.”

Thirty minutes later, Sebastian and Kurt were sitting in Lima Bean, holding hands and drinking their coffee. It was nice bit of normalcy that both boys greatly needed.

………….

Monday morning was not Kurt’s favorite part of the week. It was hard getting back in the swing of school, especially when he had spent most of the weekend with his boyfriend, and knew it would be a couple of days before he could see him again.  
“How was your weekend, Angel?” Sugar asked as she walked up to Kurt at his locker.  
“Good. Relaxing. Bas and I spent time together, saw a movie Saturday. How was yours?”  
“Great. Puck and I went out. Kissed a lot.” Sugar said as she wiggled her eyebrows. They both giggled.  
“Where is Noah?” Kurt asked. He was almost always with Sugar at the beginning of the day.  
“Football team was called to the locker room for some kind of meeting.”  
“Huh. That’s odd, since the season is over. Maybe they’re celebrating or something.” Kurt said as he gave Sugar a quick hug, “See you at lunch?”  
“Of course. Bye, Angel.”  
Kurt made his way to first bell, and noticed how weird it was not having a sea of red and white varsity jackets sprinkled among the students in the hallway. He rounded the corner, then found himself flying into a wall, his head smacking hard. A second later, a fist was in his stomach.  
“Fucking fag!” The guys voice snarled. “You better learn to mind your own fucking business!”  
One of the Cheerios, Avery, saw what happened and ran to the boys locker room. She didn’t knock or hesitate. She ran in and the football team was hanging around, wondering why they had been told to meet there. “Kurt’s in trouble!” she yelled.  
Finn, Puck, Sam, and Mike took off out of the room first, following Avery back to Kurt.. A few others followed close behind.  
While the team was on their way, the guy hit Kurt one more time in the gut, and ran. Kurt slumped down to the ground, unable to catch his breath.  
When Finn and the guys got there, they saw Kurt on the ground, with a few students around him, trying to help him get his breathing under control.  
Puck was on the ground with Kurt in a flash. “Princess, what happened?!”  
Kurt couldn’t answer him. He was hyperventilating, gasping for air.  
Sam was next to try to talk to him. “Try to breathe slow, Kurt.” He continued to to to help him breathe as the other boys began asking questions.  
Puck stood up, “Who saw who it was?!” He yelled as he looked at the crowd that had gathered.  
A small blonde girl came up and raised her hand.  
Puck raised an eyebrow. “Who?” He growled.  
“I didn’t recognize him. I’ve never seen him before...which is strange.”  
Finn asked, “What did he look like?”  
The girls said, “Kind of nondescript. Light brown hair. Brown eyes. Jeans, t-shirt. Nothing special.” she shrugged.  
Coach came around the corner with Avery, who went to get her right after she brought the boys to Kurt.  
“What the hell!” Coach crouched down next to Kurt, “Porcelain, breathe. Take a deep breath in, and hold it. Count to ten, and then release.” Coach was trying to remain calm. She was beyond pissed.  
Kurt tried to follow her instructions, but it wasn’t working well.  
“Where were you guys!” Coach snapped at Finn, Puck, Sam, and Mike.  
Coach Beiste ran up. “Hey Pumpkin, cup your hands over your mouth and breathe in deep using your diaphragm.”  
“We were in the football meeting!” Finn answered.  
Coach Beiste frowned, “What football meeting?”  
Puck punched a locker, yelling, “Son of a bitch!” He sneered, “It was a fucking set up!” Puck didn’t even think twice about cussing in front of either coach. They understood, and didn’t say anything about it.  
Kurt tried catching his breath again. He was slowly breathing a little better.  
“Who did this Porcelain?” Coach snarled.  
“I d-d-don’t kn-know.” Kurt stammered. “Didn’t rec-recognize him.” He was holding his stomach, and tears were welling up in eyes. “B-Bas.” Kurt was desperate for his boyfriend. Coach looked up to Puck.  
“I’ll call him now, Princess.”  
“Let’s get you to the nurse.” Coach Beiste said. She and Coach Sylvester grabbed Kurt under the arms and helped him down the hall.

 

Sebastian was in French class with Nick and Thad when his phone buzzed. His heart immediately sank. This couldn’t be good. When he saw it was Puck, he stood. He looked up to the teacher, “Sorry! It’s an emergency!” and ran out of the room as he answered the phone. He was already on his way to the parking lot when he said, “Puck! What’s wrong?!”  
“Man, someone got him again in the hallway. I don’t know what happened, but when we got there, he was on the floor hyperventilating. We’re on the way to the nurse now.”  
“FUCK!” Sebastian was nearly at his car. “Do you know who it was?”  
Kurt, and everyone else who was with them, could hear Sebastian yell through the phone.  
“No. Kurt didn’t recognize him, and neither did a couple of girls who saw it happen. I’m sorry, man. The football team had been called into the locker room for a meeting, so nobody was with him. Turns out, the meeting was a ruse. This is all being planned by someone.”  
“Jesus. What are we going to do?” Sebastian asked no one in particular.  
“I don’t know, man. But I’m beyond pissed. I’ll call you if we leave school. I don’t know if he’ll have to go to the doctor or not.”  
“Thanks, Puck. I’ll be there in 20 minutes.” Sebastian hung up and was already pulling out of Dalton’s parking lot. He wanted to kill whoever did this to his boyfriend.

When Sebastian got to McKinley and ran up the front steps, Coach Sylvester was waiting for him at the door so that he wouldn’t have to bother being buzzed in or have trouble finding the nurse’s office.  
“He was asking for you,” was the first thing she said.  
“Where is he?” Sebastian said in rushed state. He needed to get to Kurt as soon as possible.  
“In the clinic. This way.” Coach put her hand on his shoulder to lead the way. He thought maybe she was trying to be comforting, since he had never seen her touch anyone. Not nicely, anyway.  
“Did you call Burt?” Sebastian asked.  
“Yes, but they are still in DC. He wasn’t happy, that’s for sure. But we told him that you were on your way, and that made him feel a little better. You know, so Kurt has more than Finn at home,” she paused and then added, “You must be something special if Burt Hummel is relieved that his boy will be with you at home without him there.”  
Sebastian just nodded. Coach wasn’t even sure if he heard anything she said.

When they entered the clinic, Finn, Puck, Mike and Sam had gone back to class, but only because Coach made them. Kurt was curled up on his side with his arms wrapped around his waist. His eyes were closed, but his face was anything but peaceful.  
Coach nodded to the nurse, showing her approval of Sebastian being there. He slowly walked up to Kurt, and before laying his hand on Kurt’s shoulder, he quietly said, “Baby, I’m here.”  
Kurt opened his eyes and looked at Sebastian with such relief that it made his heart melt and ache all at the same time.  
“Bas…” Kurt breathed. His eyes began welling with unshed tears.  
“What happened?” Sebastian asked softly, helping Kurt sit up and then pulling him into a hug.  
“I don’t know. I mean, I was walking to class and when I turned the corner, I was shoved into the wall. I hit my head. Hard.” His voice became shaky as he reached for the lump on his head as he pulled away from the hug slightly, “And then he was punching me in the stomach a couple of times.” A tear fell, “And I couldn’t breathe. He called me a ‘fag’ and then told me to mind my own business. I don’t know…” Kurt shook his head.  
Sebastian was stroking his face as he spoke, with eyes soft and loving. But if you looked closely, you would see a protective, possessive boyfriend who was out for revenge.  
The nurse spoke up, “He has some bruising on his abdomen. A large bump on his head, but no concussion. He was hyperventilating, but we got his breathing under control after a few minutes.”  
Sebastian nodded to her and then turned his attention back to Kurt. “Babe, let me see your stomach.”  
Old Kurt would have fussed and refused. He would never expose his midsection to his boyfriend in the presence of others, and definitely not where a teacher or coach could see. But new Kurt couldn’t care less. Sebastian had made him feel more confident about his body. Besides, if his boyfriend asked him to do it, he knew it was safe. It was part of their ‘thing’.  
Kurt stood and pulled up his shirt. Sebastian sucked in a quick breath. His stomach had blue and purple bruises on it already.  
Sebastian took two deep breaths, trying to calm himself, but is wasn’t working. “I’m gonna hurt him,” is all Sebastian could mutter. How dare someone touch his boyfriend.  
Kurt reached out and grabbed his hand. “Bas. I just want to go home. Please.”  
Sebastian shook himself back to the where he needed to be. “Whatever you want, Baby.” Seb said, in a much calmer manner. Kurt’s touch could do that to him.  
“I already talked to Mr. Hummel. He said it was fine for you to take Kurt home,” the nurse said to Sebastian. “Kurt just needs to sign out in the front office. I already called them and told them that you have permission.”  
“Thank you.” Sebastian said as grabbed Kurt’s hand to go.  
“I need to stop at my locker.” Kurt said quietly.  
“Okay. I’m going with you.” Sebastian could see Kurt sigh in relief.  
Together they walked hand in hand to get Kurt’s things.

Once they got back to Kurt’s house, Kurt immediately went straight to his bedroom, and began stripping off his uniform in total silence. Sebastian followed him and watched from the doorway, where he leaned with his arms crossed. “Kurt.”  
Kurt continued to undress, but looked up when Sebastian said his name. At this point, it was easy to get Kurt’s attention by using his actual name instead of ‘babe’ or ‘baby’. Kurt loved when Sebastian called him those names, so hearing him say ‘Kurt’ seemed to wake him out of his daze rather quickly.  
“Hmm?”  
“Are you okay? I want you to talk to me. You haven’t said a word since the nurses’ office.” Sebastian uncrossed his arms and made his way over to Kurt.  
“Yeah. I’m just kind of… lost...in my head.” Kurt winced when he bent at the waist to lower his pants. His stomach was very sensitive with the bruising.  
Sebastian knew what he needed. He needed someone else to take care of him, to tell him what he needed to do, and to make him feel safe. He walked over to Kurt and said, “Let me.” as he lowered Kurt’s pants. Kurt stepped out of them, now only in his boxer briefs. He stood with his head hanging down as Sebastian stood back up. Seb folded the pants and laid them on top of where Kurt had placed his shirt. He went to the closet and found a t-shirt and sweatpants. He brought them back out to Kurt, who was still in the exact position he was a minute ago.  
“Let’s put these on, Babe.” Sebastian helped Kurt step into his pants, and then helped him with his t-shirt.  
Kurt raised his eyes to look at Sebastian. Seb grabbed his chin so that Kurt was fulling looking him in the eye. “We are going to figure this out. Now that we know a little more about what we’re dealing with, we’ll make sure you’re safe. I will do everything I can to make sure of it.”  
Kurt sighed, but didn’t say anything. He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. They held each other for several long minutes, completely needing each other. Kurt needed the safety of Sebastian, and Sebastian needed to have Kurt safe in his arms.  
Sebastian kissed Kurt’s forehead and whispered, “Do you want to sleep, or do you want to watch a movie?”  
“Both?”  
“Okay. I’ll go get some more comfortable clothes from Sam’s room. Be right back.” He leaned down and kissed Kurt’s head before leaving the room.  
When Sebastian returned, Kurt was kneeling at the end of the bed, hands behind his back, with tears rolling down his cheeks.  
“Babe.” Sebastian wanted to sigh, but stopped himself. He knew Kurt needed this. He walked over, and as always, ran his hands through Kurt’s hair. “You are so beautiful.” He ran his hand down Kurt’s face, and paused to run his thumb across those beautiful cheekbones. “Go downstairs and wait on the couch for me. We’re going to ice the lump on your head. I’ll take care of getting what we need. You wait.”  
“Yes, Sebastian.”  
Normally Kurt would instantly be on his feet, but with his stomach in pain, it took a bit more effort. Sebastian reached down and helped him up. “I’ll be down in a minute.”  
After Sebastian changed, he walked through the living room, seeing Kurt sitting on the edge of the couch waiting, gave him a warmth inside that was hard to explain. He continued to the kitchen to get an ice pack out of the freezer.  
He returned to Kurt with the ice pack. “This is for your head. Leave it on for 15 minutes.”  
“Yes, Sebastian.” Kurt was feeling a deep sense of calm. Having Sebastian lead, even with these little things, and when not in the bedroom, felt calming and reassuring..  
Seb turned the tv on and they decided to watch a Netflix movie. After awhile, he had Kurt lay on his side, with his head in Seb’s lap so he could hold the ice pack on and off every 15 minutes.

Later that afternoon, Puck came threw the front door with a look of determination. He was so aggravated with himself for not being with Kurt like he usually is at the beginning of the day. “Princess?,” he called. He came around the corner into the living room to Sebastian shushing him. Kurt was asleep in his lap, curled up under a blanket..  
“Oh. Sorry.” Puck quieted down and turned back around to shush Finn and Sam who were following close behind.  
Once the boys were in the living room, they all sat in silence, watching Sebastian run his hands through Kurt’s hair.  
“You know he’s gotta love you. He lets you touch his hair.” Finn said. “One time I tried to ruffle his hair when I was joking with him, and I thought he was going to kill me.”  
Sebastian smirked. Touching Kurt’s hair was part of their…’thing’, when Kurt is submitting to him. His chest warmed at the knowledge of it being something only the two of them shared.  
“Man, I can see the wheels turning in that head of yours.” Puck said.  
Sebastian didn’t even look up. He kept his eyes on Kurt, thinking of how much he loved him, and how much he would do anything for him, and wondering how he was going to protect him while they were in different schools. “Yeah.”  
He shook himself of his thoughts and looked at Sam. “Sorry, Sam. I borrowed your clothes again.”  
“Any time, Seb. My closet is your closet. It’s no problem.” Sam smiled.  
“Sooo…” Finn said, “Who do you think it is?” Everyone sat there thinking for what was probably only seconds, but felt like forever.  
“I think Mack is behind it, but is having someone do the dirty work.” Seb said.  
Finn nodded, “I think so, too. There is someone from Glee or Cheerios in every one of his classes. I don’t know about the locker check before, but today’s deal was not him.”  
They were quiet for a minute, and the Sam asked, “So how is he?”  
“Swelling on his head is down a lot. But he was punched in the stomach a couple of times, and there’s some bruising. It hurts him to bend sometimes.” Sebastian still wasn’t taking his eyes off of Kurt. That is, until the room fell silent again. He looked to see three of his friends look like they were going to hunt someone down and kill them.  
“I’m gonna kill him!” Puck muttered and then left.  
“Where’s he going?” Seb asked.  
“Sometimes he just needs to cool off. He’s pretty pissed. Normally he’s with Kurt before school and walks with him to class. That fake meeting made it so he wasn’t there to protect him.” Sam said.  
“Which is part of the issue. This was planned. This wasn’t an ‘opportunity’ that popped up. It was planned in advance.” Sebastian said.  
The boys spent a few minutes discussing it until Kurt woke up. Finn gave him his homework that Mike had gathered for him. Mike was in most of Kurt’s AP classes, so it worked out well.  
Nick and Jeff stopped by with Sebastian's homework, as well as some of Seb’s clothes. Jeff spent about an hour snuggling Kurt on the couch. He missed his friend, and felt horrible that Kurt was going through this again. He remembered stories Kurt shared of his time with Karofsky. He was miserable, and Jeff couldn’t imagine him going through that again.  
Sebastian ordered everyone pizza for dinner, and everyone tried their hardest to make it a normal night, for Kurt’s sake.  
After Puck, Nick, and Jeff had gone for the night, the boys settled down on Kurt’s bed and did their homework. Kurt finished earliest, not having that much in the first place. He closed his books and then laid back, taking a deep breath.  
“You okay, Babe?”  
“Mmhmm.” Kurt answered.  
“Really?” Sebastian raised an eyebrow.  
“I just... I don’t know what to think.”  
Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s leg, “I know, Babe. I’m sorry. But tomorrow, the guys will be by your side all day. You’ll be okay. We’ll figure this out.” Kurt was silent for a few minutes, so Sebastian lowered his tone and added, “Go shower and get ready for bed.”  
“Yes, Sebastian.” Kurt answered. It wasn’t anything big. Not a huge command. It was simple. Something he would have ended up doing anyway, eventually. But having Sebastian guide him right now, even with the littlest thing, felt great. It wouldn’t be something that Seb did constantly. But when Kurt felt stuck, like he did tonight, it was perfect.


	25. Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave finds out who has been messing with Kurt, and gets revenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for the use of derogatory names. I had this chapter all worked out in my head and it went a bit astray. Hoping it all works.  
> Comments and Kudos are love!!! Thanks for reading! Kurt's birthday weekend is the next chapter!

> Tuesday afternoon found Dave Karofsky in the weight room at Carmel High.  He was lifting mindlessly, when suddenly the mention of McKinley High caught his attention.  He didn’t really know the guy talking, but he knew his name was Rob.

“...Yeah, so Mack was pissed.  They were totally cockblocking him and not letting him anywhere near her.  He had the perfect opportunity when she happened to be at Paul’s place. I guess she’s friends with his little sister.  Apparently, she’s gorgeous, and Mack is obsessed. Anyway, she was a fucking pussy and called her brother to come and get her.”

“So he didn’t get any at all?”  The friend asked.

“Nah, man, I guess the brother called this girl's boyfriend, and he and his friends showed up and took her with them.  But not before the boyfriend clocked Mack. And to make it all worse, the girl’s brother is a fucking fag. He and his boyfriend show up too, but Mack didn’t get a chance to mess with them.  They had too many friends there.”

“So this girl goes to McKinley?”

“Nope, she and her brother both go to boarding schools.  Not sure where she goes, but he goes to Dalton. Mack wanted to get some revenge on this faggy brother who keeps getting in the way.  We can’t get into Dalton with their security, so we decided to go for the dude’s boyfriend. The other guys, like the chick’s boyfriend, are pretty buff.  The fag has muscles, but not football player muscles.”

Dave is fuming.  He knows they have to be talking about Fancy and Sebastian.  There aren’t any other gay kids out at McKinley, and definitely not any that have buff friends, like Fancy.   _He better not mess with him.  I’ll fucking kill him._  Dave thought.

“So what did you do?”

“Well, Mack did a locker check on him first.  He said it was a pretty good one. Made him bleed.”  Dave could feel his face heating up and heart rate soar. “But then Mack said he wanted more, but everyone was too tight around him.  This fag is a cheerleader, and apparently McKinley’s cheer coach is a nutcase, who’s super protective of him. So Mack said he’d get me a bunch of good weed if I went into McKinley.  This kid’s boyfriend is super protective of him too, and so are his football player friends.” He paused a beat, “ I don’t get why football player dudes would be friends with a fag cheerleader, but anyway… Mack set it up that there was a fake football meeting in the locker room, so this kid wouldn’t be protected.  He wasn’t hard to miss since he was in a fucking cheerleader uniform. I got him good, man. I didn’t stick around after, but he hit the wall hard, and I got a few good punches to the gut. Might have even knocked some of the gay right out of him.” He laughed.

 _He’s fucking laughing at that!_ Dave thought.   _Who does he think he is?  How dare he hurt Fancy. Fancy never did anything to either of them!_

Dave was too mad to stay.  He knew if he stayed, he would get into a fight, and he didn’t want to get in trouble with the school.  He couldn’t return to McKinley, or even go to Dalton, due to the restraining order, so he couldn’t risk getting kicked out of Carmel.   He silently stormed out of the  weight room and headed for his car.

Once he was in his car, he took a few deep breaths trying to calm his temper.  He had to get revenge. He had really messed things up with Fancy. Again. He didn’t mean to.  He knew his jealousy of Sebastian had played a little part in it, but really he just felt like he was looking out for the guy he liked.  Making sure he was okay, since he had been through so much, both because of himself, and because of Blaine. So he went about it the wrong way, but his intentions were good.  Right?

So he sat and pondered what his options were.  He could tell someone, but would that do any good?  The school didn’t have much of an anti-bullying policy, and was there even enough proof that it was them?  Maybe it would just be considered hearsay. He could tell Coach Sylvester. Or Puck and Finn. Or maybe even Santana. Of course, there was always Burt and his shotgun.

 

Sebastian and Trent were headed out to the mall with Jeff and Nick early Tuesday evening.  They wanted to get a little shopping done for Kurt’s birthday, even though Sebastian already had Kurt’s gift, he was going along for the ride. When the boys got to the parking lot, Sebastian noticed a note under his windshield wipers.

“What is that?”  Trent asked.

“No idea.”  Sebastian said, as he grabbed the note to read it.  As Sebastian read, his eyes widened. “Oh my god,” he whispered.

“What’s wrong?”  Nick said as he headed toward Sebastian.

“It’s a note from Dave Karofsky.  It’s only signed ‘D’, but I know it’s him.  It has to be.” Sebastian answered.

“Oh my god.”  Jeff whispered as he threw a hand over his mouth.  Nick rubbed his boyfriend’s back to try to comfort him.

“No, no,” Sebastian said, “This might be a good thing, if what he says is true.”  

“Read it out loud.”  Nick said with frustration.

“Sorry...  Sorry. I was lost in thought.”  Sebastian cleared his throat and read..’ _I know who did it.  I’ll make sure the situation is taken care of.  I’m sorry for my behavior before. ~ D_ ’”

“What the hell does that mean?!”  Jeff squeaked. Sebastian couldn’t help but think that’s exactly how Kurt would have reacted, and he smiled to himself.

“I’m not sure.  But let’s not say anything to Kurt just yet.  Let’s see how this plays out.” Sebastian folded up the note and put it in his pocket.  

“I don’t know, Seb.  Doesn’t he have the right to know?” Jeff asked.  He was really skeptical.

“Yes, but I don’t want him any more stressed than he is.”

“But didn’t he try to do the same thing to you?  Not tell you when he was hurt because he didn’t want you to worry, or neglect your school work?    
And you didn’t like it, did you?”  Jeff said as he put his hand on his hip.

“I know, Jeff, but I don’t stop eating when I’m stressed or worried.  If I tell Kurt that Dave is in the picture again, in any way, he’s going to stop eating and make himself sick.”  Sebastian sighed in frustration.

“Maybe that’s a risk you need to take.  He has a right to know, Sebastian.” Trent added.

Sebastian looked at Nick, silently asking his opinion.  

“I think you’re going to have to tell him, Seb.  He would be really pissed if something happened and he was out of the loop.  When it comes to his eating,” He sighed, “I think you’re just going to have to make sure his friends are there to make sure he takes care of himself.”  Nick could tell that was not the answer Sebastian was looking for, so he added, “Look, Seb, I know that’s not what you wanted to hear, but think about if the roles were reversed.  If Kurt got a note from Karofsky and didn’t tell you about it, wouldn’t you be mad?”

Sebastian sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.  “Yes. I’d be pissed.” He leaned against his car and thought for a minute.  The other boys looked at each other, wondering what they could do or say to make it better.  After a couple of minutes, Sebastian said, “You guys go on without me. I’m going to head to Kurt’s house and talk to him about it.”  

Nick clapped him on the shoulder, “Good luck, man.”

Jeff gave him a hug, “You made the right choice, Sebastian.”

“I sure hope so.”  

 

When Sebastian made it to Kurt’s house the family was already eating dinner.  When the doorbell rang, they all kind of looked at each other, wondering who it could be.

“I guess I’ll get it.”  Burt said, since nobody was making a move to get up.

Burt opened the door and found Sebastian standing there looking very anxious. “Sebastian!  You okay, kiddo?”

“Yeah, Burt.  When did you get back?”

“This afternoon.”  Burt knew something was up, but he wasn’t sure what. “Look, Seb, if it’s about this weekend, I already told you it was fine.”

Sebastian smiled, “Good.  But, no, something happened.  I’d like to talk to everyone, if that’s okay?”

“Sure.  We’re eating dinner.  Have you eaten yet?” Burt asked as he put his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder to coax him into the house.  

“No.  Dinner would be great.”

When Sebastian walked in, Kurt froze for a second.  He took the anxious look on Sebastian’s face and got worried.  He quickly stood and went to his boyfriend, “Are you okay? What’s wrong?,” he asked as he hugged him.

Sebastian chuckled, “I’m okay, Babe.”

“Can I fix you a plate, Honey?”  Carol asked.

“Yes, please, Carol.  That would be great. Thank you.”  Sebastian smiled as he took a seat next to Kurt. There was a minute of silence, where everyone was trying to figure out what Sebastian was feeling.  He was acting a little...off.

“Dude, you sure you’re okay?”  Finn asked.

“Well,”  he paused and thanked Carol again for the dinner she set in front of him, “I came to tell you all that there was a note on my car this afternoon,”  He put a hand on Kurt’s leg, “and I’m pretty sure it’s from Dave Karofsky.”

Kurt paled instantly. “F-from David?  But…”

“Yeah.  I’m pretty sure.”  Sebastian took the note out and read it to everyone.  

“I agree.  I think it’s him.  Sounds like he’s pretty pissed that someone has been messing with you, Kurt.”  Burt said.

“Yeah, because they took over a job that he thought was his?!”  Kurt snapped.

“I don’t know, Babe.  Maybe he really is sorry.  He’s left us alone until this happened to you.  Maybe he really is mad that you got hurt. He likes you.”

“Sure had a funny way of showing it.”  Kurt said as he pushed his plate away. Sebastian noticed, but it looked like Kurt was mostly finished with his food, so he let it drop.  However it immediately sent up flags. He would definitely need their friends help to make sure Kurt continued to eat while at school.

Sebastian squeezed his leg, “I know.”  He paused, “I wonder what he meant by ‘making sure the situation is taken care of’.”

 

Dave sat in car for twenty minutes after leaving the weight room, lost in his thoughts, and making plans.  He saw Rob come out, and paid close attention to what make and model his car was. He figured it may come in as handy info to know later.  He followed Rob, but it seemed he just went straight home, and Dave knew he couldn’t do anything there. He needed neutral ground.

Instead of sticking around in Rob’s neighborhood, Dave headed to Dalton.  He quickly found Sebastian’s shiny red corvette in the parking lot. He grabbed some paper from his backpack, and scribbled out a note, leaving under the windshield wiper of Sebastian’s car.  He hoped the note would convey the right message. He needed Sebastian to know that he knew who was harassing Fancy, and that would make them pay, but also that he was sorry for going about things the wrong way before.  He didn't want to sign his name. He didn’t want this to bite him in the butt later if something went wrong.  Putting “D” on it was chance enough.

After leaving the note, Dave returned to Lima.  He got a coffee from Lima Bean and sat in his car, checking his social media accounts, hoping one of his ideas would pay off.  He checked Facebook to see if Rob or Mack had an account that wasn’t set to private. Today must have been his lucky day. He checked Mack’s first and saw that he had checked in at the mall.   _Hmmm, I think I need to a bit of shopping,_ Dave smirked.

 

Dave drove straight to the mall and headed to all of the popular stores first.  He didn’t see any sign of Mack. The next thought was that maybe he was in the food court.  I was dinner time, after all. Sure enough. There was Mack, hitting on a couple of girls that Dave was pretty sure went to McKinley, although they looked pretty young.  Dave grabbed a slice of pizza and a drink from Sbarro, and sat to watch.

Mack was flirting, but was taking it further than other guys normally would.  Dave watched as Mack turned his attention to a petite brunette. He put his hand on the small of her back and started rubbing.  The girl shifted, and the she grabbed Mack's arm and removed it. _Good for her,_ Dave thought.

When Mack didn’t seem to be getting anywhere with her, he turned his attention to her friend.  He leaned over and whispered something in her ear. He looked way too close, almost as if he was going to nibble on her ear or kiss her neck.  She looked uncomfortable, and whatever he said to her made her blush, and her eyes widen. She looked at her friend and grabbed her hand. They both stood to leave.  Mack stood in front of them, trying block their way.

 _What an asshole_ , Dave thought. _No wonder Sebastian doesn’t want this dick near his sister.  And no wonder they had to go rescue her. He doesn’t seem to take a hint easily._

Dave watched the girls walk around Mack and start walking away in the direction of the stores.  Mack turned and started after them. Dave had had enough. He stood quickly, throwing away his garbage on his way, and headed toward the girls as well.  Just before he reached them, Mack grabbed one of the girls by the arm and turned her around to face him.

Dave jogged up to them.  Dave’s a big guy, and he was using that against Mack the best he could.  He puffed out his chest and stood close to Mack. “Seems to me these ladies don’t want the attention you keep giving them.  Can’t take a hint? I hear that’s a problem for you, Mack,” Dave snarled.

“Well, well, well.  If it isn’t Dave Karofsky.”  Mack half smiled. His voice took on a challenging tone.

“I think you better let go of her, Mack.”  Dave moved in closer, looking down at Mack.

Mack released his grip on the girl’s arm.  Dave turned his head slightly to look at her, “Go.”

The girls didn’t think twice.  They were both jogging away, and out of sight in seconds.

 “What the hell is your problem?,”  Mack glared.

“You’re my problem.  Because you’re causing trouble for some people who don’t deserve it.  Those girls. Sebastian and his sister.   _Kurt._ ”  

“I never touched any of them.”  Mack said, playing innocent. “Besides, what would it matter to you?”

“It matters to me that people who want nothing to do with you, can’t seem to get rid of you.  If those girls, or Sebastian’s sister, tell you ‘no’, then you better fucking listen. And I know you are fucking with Kurt, because I heard _all_ about it today at school.”  Dave stepped even closer. He was literally chest to chest with Mack and growling at him. “The last asshole who fucked with Kurt is now doing five years in prison.  Maybe you need to be six...feet under.”

Mack paled.  He didn’t know anything about that.  “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Karofsky.”

Dave grabbed him by the shirt collar, “Touch Kurt again, and I will make sure you suffer.  Tell someone else to touch him, and you will _both_ pay.  I’m already going to make sure all the right people know what I found out today.  Sebastian. Puck. Finn. Sam. Mike. Santana. Coach Sylvester. Sebastian’s father, a state’s attorney, by the way.  Oh, and last, but _certainly_ not least, Congressman Hummel, the proud owner of a shotgun that he’s more than happy to use.”  Dave tightened his grip, “Don’t. Fuck. With. Kurt.” He let go of Mack with a shove.

Mack tumbled backwards a bit, and then turned and took off, looking a bit more pale than when he had arrived at the mall.

Dave turned to walk out of the mall, but noticed someone hiding behind a planter.  He quickly walked over and found Jacob Ben Israel crouched down with his phone out, recording everything.  Dave grabbed the phone from JBI’s grasp. “You tell _no one_ about this.  Understand?”

Jacob nodded his head quickly, “Y-yes.  But can I have my phone back?”

“Hmm..,”  Dave glared at him.  “I’m texting myself a copy, and then erasing it.”  He performed the task as fast as he could. He shoved the phone into JBI’s chest. “Remember.  Tell _no one_.”

“Sure.  Sure, you have my word.”  JBI said as he took off down the mall.

Dave immediately took out his phone and texted the only person he could think of that would be able to help him.  Santana.

 

**To Santana:**

Can you meet me at the mall?  I know who is messing with Kurt.  I have proof.

**To Dave:**

Why should I trust you?  You fucked with Kurt too.

**To Santana:**

Please.  You’re just going to have to come see for yourself.

**To Dave:**

Meet me in the food court in 20

 

Twenty minutes later, Santana entered the food court and found Dave sitting anxiously at one of the booths that was the furthest away from the crowd.  She wasted no time as she slid into the booth across from him, “Who is it and what is the proof?”

“Why, it’s nice to see you too, Santana.”  Dave rolled his eyes.

“I’m not here for the small talk, dumb ass.  I need to know how to protect Kurt like everyone else.  I’ve been trying to get to the bottom of this, but have had no luck.  Neither has Sebastian or the boys. So spill.” She glared.

“Alright, so after school today I was in the weight room and overheard this asshole talking all about it.  Apparently he’s friends with Mack Robinson.”

“I knew it was him!”  Santana growled.

“Well, it was, the first time.  He did the locker check last week.  But yesterday’s thing was all the kid who I overheard today.  His name is Rob. I don’t know his last name, but I can find out.”

“So he doesn’t even go to McKinley?  Shit.”

“Nope.  Mack told him he’d get him some good weed if he went in and did it.  Mack called the fake football meeting so none of the guys would be protecting Kurt.”

“So why Kurt? Is he homophobic or something?”  Santana grimaced.

“No.  He was pissed that nobody would let him get to Sebastian’s sister.  I guess he figured he wanted revenge, and the best way to do it was to mess with Kurt.  He knew it would piss everyone off. Especially Sebastian.”

“Leah.  Sebastian’s sister is Leah.  So if you hear anything about her, let me know.  I’ll give the guys a heads up. They’re all pretty protective of her too.”  Santana paused for a minute, “Why should I believe you? What’s your proof? You could be making all of this up to get close to Kurt again.”

Dave shook his head, “No.  I’m not making it up. And I’m not trying to get close to Kurt.  I know he’s happy, and I’m not going to mess that up.” He sighed, “Besides, it’s too painful for me to be around him now anyway.”  

Santana did feel a little bad for Dave, but not enough to let him know that.  “So the proof?”

Dave didn’t say anything.  He just opened up his text messages, and played the video for her.  As she watched, her eyes got bigger and bigger.

“Shit.”  She sighed.

“Yeah.”  Dave sat bouncing his leg nervously.  “So what now?”

“Text me a copy of the video.”  She began to smirk, “I’ll make sure only the right people see it.”

Santana stood to leave, “You take care of this Rob guy.  Make sure he doesn’t come back to McKinley. Let me know how things work out,”  She winked, “And, Dave… Thanks.” She put a hand on his shoulder and then walked away.  

 

…………..

 

On Wednesday morning, Kurt went out to the car and found Sam leaning up against the driver side door holding a coffee and a bagel.  “I’ll drive. You eat.” He smiled and held out the breakfast for Kurt to take.

Kurt sighed and rolled his eyes, “I’ll take the coffee.  Thanks.” He reached for the coffee, but Sam pulled it away.  

“Nope.  Gotta eat the bagel if you want the coffee,”  Sam said. Finn smiled at him, and he knew he had to take the deal.

Kurt grunted and took both before heading around to the passenger side door.  He ate about half, but Sam and Finn were both happy with that. It was better than nothing.

 

Once they made it to school, Puck and Sugar were waiting for them in the parking lot.

“Good morning, Angel!”  Sugar said as she hugged her best friend.

“Mornin’ Sugar.”

“Doing okay, Princess?”  Puck asked.

“Yeah.  Just sore.  I’m skipping Cheerio practice today.  Hope Coach doesn’t mind.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine with it,”  Puck answered. “Moving a little slow?”  

Kurt wasn’t moving at his normal pace.  His stomach still hurt pretty bad when he moved to fast or bent to much.  “Yeah. Hopefully not for long.”

The five of them went into school together and didn’t leave Kurt’s side until he made it to his first class.  Kurt also noticed Coach Sylvester and Coach Beiste in the hallway nearby, where there were normally no teachers.  He was still wary of being here.  Anywhere, really.  He missed Sebastian, and couldn’t wait until the afternoon for their coffee date.

 

At lunch, Kurt sat and listened to his friends talk.  Finally, Finn said, “Okay, little brother. You have fifteen minutes left of lunch time.  Eat before it’s too late.”

Kurt had his fork in one hand, and his head resting in the other.  He rolled his eyes, “I am eating.”

“No, you’re moving the food around.  It hasn’t entered your mouth yet.”  Tina said.

“Kurt.”  Puck said.  Kurt looked up at him.  It was almost the same tone Sebastian uses on him… And he called him ‘Kurt’...again. He didn’t say anything in return, so Puck continued, “You have to eat.  You have to. There is no choice. We have Glee after lunch, so if you don’t eat, I’ll make sure the only thing we do is sit in our chairs surrounding you and your salad until you eat _all_ of it.”

Kurt looked around at everyone at the table.  Everyone was sitting there, not eating, staring at him.  He hated it.

“I know you hate that we’re all staring at you like this.  I can read your mind, Angel.  But this isn’t going to change until you eat.  Every. Day. We will do this every day, every meal, until we know you are fueling that beautiful body of yours.”  Sugar put her hand on his, “Please.”

Kurt put his fork down and buried his face in his hands.  Sam put his hand on Kurt’s back and rubbed.

Sugar slid her yogurt in front of him.  “At least eat the yogurt? Please, Angel.”

When Kurt pulled his hands away, the others could tell he had been crying.  “I can’t,” he whispered.

“You can,”  Puck said.

As if on cue, Sebastian called.  Before Kurt could grab the phone, it was in Puck’s hands.

“Hey, it’s Puck.”  He said.

“Hey, Puck.  Let me guess.  He isn’t eating.”  Sebastian sighed.

“You guessed it.”  Puck wasn’t taking his eyes off of Kurt.  Kurt just continued to let silent tears fall, with his head hung.

“Alright.  Let me talk to him.”

Puck handed the phone to Kurt.  Kurt leaned an elbow on the table and rested his forehead against it.  “Hi,” is all he whispered.

“Hi, Baby.  Why aren’t you eating?”

Kurt whispered, “I can’t.”  He heard Sebastian sigh on the other end of the phone, and it broke his heart that he was causing his boyfriend more stress.  “It makes want to vomit...the thought of food right now.”

“I understand, but you have to push though that thought and do it anyway. You can’t not eat.  What do you have in front of you?”

“A salad,” He said quietly. Sugar nudged the yogurt in front of him some more.  “And some yogurt.”

Sebastian used the tone of his voice to make sure that Kurt understood.  “Kurt, eat the yogurt.  If that settles okay, add the salad.” Kurt sat up straighter, but his head remained bowed.

“Yes, Sebastian.”  Kurt whispered as another tear fell.

Puck noticed the change in posture and the odd way Kurt responded, but didn’t say anything.

“Thank you, Kurt.  I love you.”

“I love you, too.”  

Once Kurt hung up, everyone returned to their own meals, but continued to watch Kurt on the sly.  He ate the yogurt, and two bites of his salad. They all felt a bit more relieved.

 

After school, Kurt headed to Cheerio’s practice to see if Coach would let him leave early, or at least sit this one out.  

“Coach…”  Kurt began.    
“No time for chit-chat, Porcelain.  You’re needed in the choir room.”  She turned to Santana, Brittany, and Quinn, “You too, girls.”  

“Okaaay?”  Kurt frowned and left with the girls.

When they got to the choir room, the entire Glee Club was there.  Kurt went in and sat next to Sugar.

He leaned over, “What’s going on?”

“You’ll see.”  She nodded to the door.

Kurt looked up and saw Sebastian coming in.  He smiled for the first time that day. He stood and met Sebastian in the middle of the room.  They didn’t say anything at first. They just held each other for awhile, lost in the warmth and love they felt for each other.

When they pulled apart, Kurt said, “You’re early,” and winked.

“Yeah, well, Puck texted me and asked me to come early and meet you all here.”  Sebastian kissed Kurt on the forehead, “I have no idea why.”

“Well, you two love birds, we have something for you.”  Rachel said in a sing-song voice. “Let’s take this party to the auditorium.”

When they arrived in the auditorium, the jazz band was set up on stage, and all the members of New Directions made their way to the stage while Kurt and Sebastian took a seat.

Finn stepped forward, “Kurt, we know you have been through hell this year.  We also know that it was all made so much better for you with you two finding each other.  We love you both, and we know things haven’t been easy lately. We wanted to sing you a little something to let you both know that we’re here for you, and we love you.”

Kurt already had tears in his eyes.  Sebastian smiled and put his arm around Kurt, pulling him in closer.  He kissed him on the temple as the Glee Club began to sing _[Brother](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61Wm_qlVD4Q) _by NEEDTOBREATHE.

 

_“Ramblers in the wilderness we can’t find what we need_

_We get a little restless from the searching_

_Get a little worn down in between_

_Like a bull chasing the matador is the man left to his own schemes_

_Everybody needs someone beside em’ shining like a lighthouse from the sea_

_Brother let me be your shelter_

_Never leave you all alone_

_I can be the one you call_

_When you’re low_

_Brother let me be your fortress_

_When the night winds are driving on_

_Be the one to light the way_

_Bring you home_

_Face down in the desert now there’s a cage locked around my heart_

_I found a way to drop the keys where my failures were_

_Now my hands can’t reach that far_

_I ain’t made for a rivalry, I could never take the world alone_

_I know that in my weakness I am stronger_

_It’s your love that brings me home_

_Brother let me be your shelter_

_I’ll never leave you all alone_

_I can be the one you call_

_When you’re low_

_Brother let me be your fortress_

_When the night winds are driving on_

_Be the one to light the way_

_Bring you home_

_Brother let me be your shelter_

_Never leave you all alone_

_I can be the one you call_

_When you’re low_

_Brother let me be your fortress_

_When the night winds are driving on_

_Be the one to light the way_

_Bring you home_

_Brother let me be your shelter_

_Never leave you all alone_

_I can be the one you call_

_When you’re feeling low_

_Brother let me be your fortress_

_When the night winds are driving on_

_Be the one to light the way_

_Bring you home_

_Brother let me be your shelter_

_Never leave you all alone_

_I can be the one you call_

_When you’re low_

_Brother let me be your fortress_

_When the night winds are driving on_

_Be the one to light the way_

_Bring you home_

_Brother let me be your shelter_

_Brother let me be your shelter_

_Brother let me be your shelter”_

 

When the song finished, Kurt and Sebastian made their way to the stage and gave hugs of appreciation to everyone.

“Thank you all so much.  I don’t know what I would have done this year without you all.  I love you all so much.” Kurt said as he hugged them all.

“Really, you have all been so amazing.  You’ve been there for Kurt, and for me. I can’t thank you all enough for all of the love and support you’ve shown both of us.  We’re so lucky to have you all.” Sebastian was truly touched.

“Well I have one more gift to give you both.”  Santana said. “Let’s go back to the choir room.”

Once back, everyone sat around and Santana pulled out her phone. “Last night I got a text from someone who had proof of who was messing with you, Kurt.”  Kurt raised his eyebrows, and Sebastian squeezed his hand. “I don’t want you to get upset. Just...Just hear me out, and watch the video I have to show you, okay?”

“Okay.”  Kurt said with a bit of skepticism in his voice.

“Dave Karofsky texted me last night.”  She paused, giving it a second to sink in, “He said he knew who was messing with you, so I met him at the mall and we had a heart to heart.”  Sebastian put his arm around Kurt and rubbed his shoulder slowly, trying to comfort him through this new news. “He overheard someone talking about it in the weight room.  He said the guy's name is Rob. He’s finding out today what his last name is. Rob was telling some other dipshit all about what was happening. Bragging about it. He said Mack was pissed that you guys were cockblocking him because he wanted Leah.  Since he couldn’t get into Dalton to get to you, Sebastian, he figured he’d hurt what meant the most to you...Kurt.” Sebastian ran his free hand through his hair. Kurt put a hand on Sebastian’s thigh and squeezed a bit, to let him know it was okay. “Mack is the one who gave you the locker check, but when the guys basically built a wall around you, he set up the fake football meeting and paid Rob in weed to come in and hurt you.  That way it looked like he was innocent.”

“How do you know any of this is true?”  Puck asked.

“Karofsky checked Mack’s public Facebook and saw that he was at the mall.  He found them there, hitting on some girls that didn’t want his attention at all.  Dave watched for a bit, but when Mack started following them and grabbed one girl, he intervened.  Then he confronted him about you, Kurt. JBI was there. He hid and got it all on video.  When Dave found out, he took Jacob’s phone, sent himself the video via text, and then deleted it.  I have a copy of it now.” Santana held her phone out to Sebastian.

Sebastian played the video and everyone gathered around the best they could to watch it.  By the time it was over, Kurt had wrapped his arms around Sebastian’s biceps and put his head on against Sebastian’s shoulder.  

Santana added, “I know he doesn't come right out and say that he did it, but it really seems implied.”

“Yeah, and Dave basically threatened to kill _him_ too.”  Kurt scoffed.  

“Look, I get that he’s trying, in his own way, to protect Kurt.  But this doesn’t prove anything except that Mack is an asshole who definitely better stay away from Kurt and Leah both.  However, Dave saying he overheard Rob, is more valid than anything he says in the video. The video is just threats.” Sebastian added.  

“So what now?”  Finn asked.

“Now just leave everything to me.”  Santana winked.

“Tana, don’t do anything stupid.”  Kurt warned.

“I would never.” She smirked.

 

Sebastian and Kurt walked into Lima Bean about thirty minutes later.  The barista at the counter smiled and asked, “The usual, boys?”

Sebastian smiled, “Yes.  Thank you, Shannon.”

Once the boys were seated comfortably with their coffee, Sebastian asked, “Are you okay, Babe?”

“Mmm.  I guess.”  Kurt answered quietly.

“Mmhmm.  Talk to me, Kurt.”

“I’m ready for it to all go away.  I appreciate that David was being protective of me, but I don’t want him in my life at all.  I forgave him once, and look where that got me.”

“I get that.  What about Mack and Rob?  What are you thinking about all of that?”  Sebastian asked.

“I feel better knowing who it is.  But that doesn’t mean they won’t try it again.”  Kurt said.

“I don’t think our family will let that happen.”  Sebastian smiled softly and put his hand on Kurt’s face and stroked his cheek with his thumb.

Kurt smiled and nodded his head.  “They really are family.”

“They really are.”

 

By the end of the week, Rob had four flat tires.  One each day. He was also suddenly locker checked each morning.  Dave had made a few friends at his new school who didn’t mind helping out.  They didn’t even ask why.

Mack on the other hand, was suddenly the talk of McKinley.  Besides having his own flat tires, every cheerleader, besides Kurt, of course, was talking to everyone they knew about how small Mack’s dick was.  Apparently, he also had a bad case of herpes. Poor Mack couldn’t get any girl to talk to him. Talk about cockblocking….

 

 


	26. Birthday Weekend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt's birthday weekend is full of fun and surprises!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: I added links!  
> All places mentioned are real, and descriptions accurate, although in reality, the 21C Hotel is right across the street from the Aronoff Center...But that would mess my story! Lol  
> This one is longer and drama free.  
> Comments and Kudos=LOVE. I love LOVE!!

 

“Are you ready to go?”  Burt asked Kurt as he walked into his bedroom.

“Yeah, Dad.   Are you sure you’re okay with having Friday night dinner at the Smythe’s?  I know it’s kind of ‘our’ thing.” Kurt was putting the last of his things in an overnight bag.  Burt told him he would be staying the night because Sebastian had plans for them the next day.

“I think it’s great, kiddo.  They think of you as part of their family, so it’s still a ‘family dinner’.  They wanted to have a special dinner since today is your birthday.”  Burt turned toward the door to leave and then added, “Oh, bring a nice suit.”

“What!?  Why do I need a suit?”  Kurt was frozen in his spot.

Burt smirked, “Seb has big plans for tomorrow.”

“Well what else do I need?  I’m totally unprepared now!”  Kurt was already rummaging through his closet.

Burt chuckled, “You need clothes for tomorrow, a suit, clothes for the next day, and _definitely_ pajamas.  No sleeping naked.”

Kurt furrowed his brows.  “Two days worth of clothes?”  He ignored the naked comment.

“Yes, kiddo.  Just go with it.  That boyfriend of yours has a very special weekend planned.”

“The whole weekend?  Why didn’t he say anything?”  Kurt put his hands on his hips.

Burt laughed again, “Probably because he knew you would ask a million questions.  Besides, he wants what you’re doing to be a surprise.  Don’t even try to ask me what it is.  He asked, I said yes, and I won’t say another word.” 

“Hmm...Okay.”  Kurt returned to his closet to get more clothes.  

 

Kurt and his family arrived at the Smythe home right on time.  Sebastian opened the door and wrapped his arms around Kurt without even greeting anyone else.  They all just smiled.

“Happy Birthday, Babe!”

“Thanks, Bas!”  Kurt hugged back, and then leaned back a bit.  “You have a lot of explaining to do.”

Sebastian looked at Burt and smiled, “Packing?”

Burt chuckled, “You got it.”

“I’ll explain later.  Right now, let's get you guys out of the cold.  Come on in. Everyone’s in the living room.” Sebastian ushered everyone in with handshakes and hugs, but held Kurt back at the door.  He leaned down and kissed him for a few minutes. “I love you.”

Kurt smiled, “I love you too, Bas.  So much.”

Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hand, “Alright, lets go.  Leah is dying to see the birthday boy.”

Kurt smiled and followed along, holding Sebastian’s hand.

When they turned the corner, all Kurt could comprehend was a huge, “SURPRISE!!!!”  

All of the Hummels, Smythes, New Directions, and Warblers were in the living room for Kurt’s surprise party.  The room was full of balloons, banners, streamers, food, friends, and family. Nick was recording all of it. Everything, and everyone, that Kurt loved was in that room.

“Oh my gosh!”  Kurt squealed as he threw a hand over his mouth.  He was utterly shocked. Tears welled in his eyes, and he turned to look at his boyfriend.  “You are sooo sneaky!” Sebastian just rubbed his back, smiled at him, and shrugged. He bend down and kissed Kurt on the temple.

“Wait...Where are everyone's cars?”  Kurt asked.

“Jeff’s family lives down the street.  They are all parked there. Everyone was shuttled over by Jeff and his family, which includes Nick.”

“Wow.”  Kurt looked around at everyone, “Thank you all so much for coming to celebrate my birthday!  You guys are amazing.”

Everyone made sure to give Kurt lots of ‘Happy Birthdays’ and hugs.  The party was very entertaining with stories being told by both McKinley kids and Dalton kids.  Most of the stories revolved around Kurt, and caused a lot of blushing. The two groups got along great, and the parents loved hearing the stories and watching the interactions.  

Everyone gathered around to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Kurt. Once Kurt made a wish and blew out his candles, Robert commented that the two singing groups had made that the prettiest version of the song that he had ever heard.  All of the parents agreed.

Sugar had made four dozen cupcakes, that everyone raved over.  

“Sugar, these are incredible!”  Tori said, “The kids tell me you want to open your own bakery.  Now I understand why.”

“Thanks.  I put a lot of love into these particular cupcakes.  Kurt deserves the best.”

“That he does.”  Tori smiled.

Several of the Warblers agreed with Sebastian that they were going to beg, and maybe even bribe, the Headmaster into letting the coffee shop or cafeteria sell Sugar’s cupcakes, muffins, and breads.  She was blushing with all of the compliments. She had recently been worried that she wasn’t good enough to open her own bakery. She was getting cold feet. Puck just beamed at the compliments everyone was giving her.  He leaned over and whispered, “These guys can afford anything, and they are begging for _your_ baked goods, Sugar.  That should be proof enough that you can do this.”  She kissed him on the cheek and then leaned into him as he put his arm around her.  

Kurt received several gifts.  He was kind of embarrassed receiving so many things.  He loved every single thing. Nick and Jeff got him a sweater that he had been eyeing the last time he and Jeff had gone to the mall.  Several Warblers bought him designer apparel or gave him gift cards. The McKinley kids got together and bought him a huge New York themed gift basket.  It had a New York t-shirt, New York style cheesecake, snacks made in New York, Broadway CD’s, and New York skyline Christmas ornament.

 

Puck, Sam, and Joe brought out their guitars and everyone gathered around the living room and dining room.  Sebastian sat on the floor against the couch and spread his legs so that Kurt could sit in between. His stomach was still sore, so it took him a beat longer to get down to the floor.  “Still sore?” Sebastian asked.

“Just a little.”  Kurt answered.

Kurt leaned into Sebastian’s chest and Sebastian wrapped his arm around him.  Kurt laid his head back and Sebastian kissed his temple.

“Are you having a good time?”  He whispered in Kurt’s ear.

“Wonderful,”  He bent his head so he look up at Sebastian, “Thank you so much, Bas.”

“You’re welcome, Babe.  You deserve all of this and more.  The more comes tomorrow.” He winked.

Kurt just smiled at him and then turned back to look at all his favorite people who were gathered around singing.  He felt such joy and peace. He really needed a night like this.

After a few songs, Leah came up to where Kurt and Sebastian were sitting.  She looked down at Kurt and gestured to his legs. “Spread em’.”

He chuckled, but went ahead and spread his legs so that she could sit between them.  She sat and snuggled up against him, like he was snuggled up against Sebastian. Tori, who considered herself the event’s photographer, made sure to snap a picture before any of the three could complain.  

 

After a few more songs, Leah declared, “Pajama Time!”

“Wait, everyone is spending the night?”  Kurt asked.

“Yep.  Well, not everyone can, but most.”  Sebastian answered.

Tori added, “Eventually, the girls will sleep in Leah’s room, and the boys can sleep in Seb’s room and a guest room.  There are too many boys here for just one room.”

Sugar asked, “Can I bake some muffins tonight, so they’re ready for the morning?”

“Sure, Sugar.  What do you need?”  Tori asked.

“Oh, I brought everything with me.  I just need the oven. Thanks!”

Sugar got up to go start the muffins, and Kurt got up to help her.  They silently began working around each other like it was second nature. Sebastian moved to sit on the couch, and just watched with a small smile.  Puck came up and sat next to him. He didn’t say a word, but watched the two in the kitchen as well.  Carol noticed the two boys and chuckled to herself. She elbowed Burt and nodded toward the boys.  

“Look at them.”  She smiled, “They’ve got it so bad.”

Burt chuckled, “They sure do.  All four of them are lucky kids.  I’m not sure I’ve seen two couples that are so right for each other that are still so young.”

“I agree.  But remember, they aren’t that young.  All of the boys are 18 now, and Sugar will be soon.  I mean, they’re young, but they definitely not babies anymore.”

 

Kurt and Sugar were almost finished mixing the muffins when Puck finally leaned over to Sebastian and quietly said, “Can you believe how lucky we are?”

“No, honestly.  Sometimes it’s really hard to believe that he’s real.  That you’re all real,” Sebastian said without taking his eyes off of Kurt.

Puck looked at Sebastian and frowned slightly, “What do you mean?”

Sebastian laid his head on the back of the couch and turned to look at Puck.  “I was pretty wild in Paris,” He looked back towards Kurt, but continued, “Clubs, bars, parties, and everything that came along with that... Drinking, the occasional hookup.  I couldn't imagine my life like this, even though it was what I was secretly longing for. Even searching for, in a weird, fucked up way. It was something other people got to have, not me.  When we found out that my aunt wasn’t likely going to make it, and that we would be coming home to Dad, I decided that I wanted to change. It was like a fresh start. I made sure I was clean.  No one knew me here, so there was no reputation. I wanted to give myself the chance to have what I really wanted. I never in a million years would have thought that I would have found it so soon.”

Puck nodded and looked back to Kurt, “That’s why you’re so protective of him.”

Sebastian said, “Yeah.  Well, that and it’s kind of my nature, just like it’s yours too.  When I saw you guys come into the Lima Bean the day I met Kurt, it was like...I don’t know, something inside of me changed.  I was actually getting ready to leave, but when I saw you guys, I stayed a bit longer. I’m sure glad I did. Being with Kurt is amazing. _He’s_ amazing.  And with Kurt, comes all of you.  And now I have the friends and family that I always wanted.”

Puck patted him on the leg, “He deserves someone like you.”

“He deserves who I am now, and more. But not who I used to be.  He changed that. Everyone says I saved him, but really, he saved me too.”

 

The party started to settle down, and everyone was in their pajamas. Burt and Carol said their goodbyes to everyone, and thanked the Smythes.  They made sure to wish Kurt a ‘Happy Birthday’, and give him a big hug.

“Thanks for my gift.  I promise to put it to good use.”  Kurt smiled.

“Your welcome, Sweetie.”  Carol said.

“See ya later, kiddo.  Have a good time this weekend.”  

“I will, Dad.  Well, I’m assuming I will, since I don’t have any idea what we’re doing.”  Kurt chuckled.

 

Robert and Tori headed for bed, but not before Kurt could give them both big hugs and lots of ‘thank you’s’.  The kids decided to go the media room and watch a movie. The media room had three tiers, and several couches.  Those who didn’t fit on couches chose the floor in the front with pillows and blankets. Kurt and Sebastian shared a couch with Puck and Sugar.  Limbs overlapped, and bodies touched without anyone ever thinking twice about it. They chose a Netflix movie that was a new release, so no one had watched it yet.

Before the movie was over, Kurt slid down and knelt in front of Sebastian.  Sebastian grinned at him and ran his fingers through his hair and then stroked his cheek with his thumb.  He leaned down and whispered, “You’ll have to wait, Baby.”

“Yes, Sebastian,”  Kurt whispered and then turned to kiss Seb on the cheek.  He turned back toward the movie, but stayed on his knees. Sebastian continued to run his fingers through Kurt’s hair.  Kurt would close his eyes and sigh with contentment.

Although Puck couldn’t hear what they were saying, he saw the interaction.  It made him curious, but he wasn’t ready to bring it up. It was just small things that he was noticing.  He would have to file each one away and then have the information ready if he needed, or wanted, to bring it up later.  Kurt looked happy, and that was all he really cared about.

 

Most of the group headed up stairs to set up the sleeping arrangements when the movie was over.   Half of the Warblers had gone home, but Kurt’s friends he was closer with from the group had stayed.  All of the New Directions stayed. Sam and Finn carried Artie up the steps and Puck carried his chair.  Half of the boys fit in Sebastian’s room, the other half in a guest room. Sebastian and Kurt slept in the bed, while the rest of the boys made do with the love seat and floor. They lounged around, joked, and talked.  

The girls all made themselves comfortable in Leah’s room.  Leah had bought some beauty masks for them, and they turned it into a traditional sleepover.  There were lots of giggles, and a little bit of gossip.

“We’ll be right back.”  Sebastian said to the guys as he grabbed Kurt’s hand and pulled him toward the door.  There were a few wolf whistles as they left, but most of the guys just grinned.

“Where are we going?”  Kurt asked once they were in the hallway.

“Shhh… Secret mission.”  Sebastian smiled.

Kurt just smiled and rolled his eyes lovingly.  

Sebastian and Kurt snuck downstairs and into the garage.  “Are we going somewhere?” Kurt asked.

“No.”  Sebastian pushed Kurt up against his corvette and kissed him passionately.  He moved his way to Kurt’s jaw and then his neck.

“Mmm, Bas,”  Kurt breathed, “We...Mmm...we should go back upstairs.”

“No.”  Sebastian continued to place open mouth kisses on Kurt’s neck and reached around and grabbed his ass.  Kurt gasped. He reached for Kurt’s pants. “Birthday blowjob first. I’ve been dying to touch you all night.”

“Mmm… Well, I can’t argue with that, now can I?”

“Uh-uh.”  Sebastian said as he kissed his way down Kurt’s chest and pulled down his pajama pants at the same time.  He grabbed Kurt’s erection and began to stroke him. He then licked a stripe up his shaft. He worked his way back up to Kurt’s neck and then whispered low in his ear, “Don’t cum until I tell you to.”

“Yes, Sebastian.”

“Good.”  Sebastian kissed his way back down, and took Kurt into his mouth.

Ten minutes later, Kurt was having a really hard time not falling to pieces. Sebastian pulled back and looked up at Kurt through his lashes, “Cum now, Kurt,” and he took Kurt back into his mouth.  

Two seconds later, Kurt was coming down Sebastian’s throat as Seb swallowed around him.  Kurt grabbed Sebastian's hair, his eyes rolled back into his head, and he moaned the most glorious moan that Sebastian had ever heard.  Before he fully came back to Earth, he began to collapse. Sebastian reached up and braced Kurt with his hands, insuring he wouldn’t fall.  

Sebastian stood back up, pulling Kurt’s pants up as he went, and wrapped his arms around Kurt.  Kurt held on tight, and laid his head on Sebastian’s shoulder. “Happy Birthday, Baby,” He said as he stroked Kurt’s back.

“Thank you, Bas.  You spoil me.”

“Mmm, the weekend has just begun, Babe.”  He pulled back and winked at Kurt, “Let’s get back upstairs before the guys decide to sneak out and try to find us.”

 

When the boys returned upstairs, Puck was the first one to speak up. He grinned, “Enjoy your little escapade?”  

Sebastian tried to hide his smirk, and then he was shocked when Kurt didn’t even blush.  Kurt simply answered, “Tremendously,” and the boys laughed.

As if a light bulb just turned on, Trent asked, “Oh my god, did you guys just go have sex?”

Sebastian laughed, and Kurt said, “No, Trent.”

Sebastian added with a grin, “I’m totally insulted that you think that for my boyfriend’s birthday, I would only last 10 minutes.”

“Well then why is Kurt glowing?”  Artie asked as he chuckled.

“Oh my god, you guys.”  Kurt shook his head.

“Come on.  Snuggle time.”  Sebastian reached for Kurt’s hand and pulled him into bed.

“No fair.  You two get snuggle time.”  Puck whined.

Nick and Jeff both laughed.  They were already snuggling.

“Shut up, Niff.”  Puck pouted.

 

…………..

  

The next morning, everyone ate breakfast and then said their goodbyes to Kurt and the Smythe’s.  Kurt thanked everyone as they left with lots of hugs and promises to see them soon. It really had been a great birthday.

 

“Okay, Babe.  Go shower and get dressed.  You’ll need to bring your suit and an overnight bag.  We need to get on the road soon.” Sebastian leaned over to where Kurt was sitting at the kitchen island, and kissed his cheek.

“We’re not staying here tonight?”

“Nope.  Now no more questions.”  Sebastian winked, “Just trust me.”

“I do trust you.  I’m just sooo curious!,”  Kurt said as he walked out of the room.

“He’s going to have so much fun.”  Leah said.

“That’s my goal.  I know he’s still hurting a bit.  He’s been a little slow getting up and down.  Hopefully this takes his mind off of that, too.”  Sebastian said as he put away some of the dishes.

“Yeah.”  Leah sighed.  She hated that Kurt was still being hurt by people, and she felt a bit guilty that it related to her in any way.  

“So, I saw you and Sam talking last night…”

“Uh-huh,”  Leah deadpanned.

“That doesn’t sound happy.”  Sebastian frowned.

“It’s just that... I really like Sam.  But I think it would be hard to have a relationship with me so far away.  It’s not like I come home every weekend. I’m trying to kind of talk myself out of it.”  She helped Sebastian with the last of the dishes. “So you approve of him, though?”

“Yeah.  I think Sam is a great guy.  I see where you’re coming from with the distance thing, though.  It wouldn’t be easy. Plus, I know he’s only a junior, but if things got serious, it wouldn’t be too long before he’s off to college.  You’ll still have two years of high school left.”

Leah sighed, “I know.”

Sebastian gave her a hug and kissed her forehead.  “Just let things play out. As long as you aren’t rushing anything, it’ll be fine.”

She hugged back, but didn’t say anything.

 

Sebastian and Kurt were on the road, stopping for coffee first, within an hour or so.  “So. We’re headed south.” Kurt said.

Sebastian chuckled, “Yes.”

Kurt just looked at Sebastian and stared until he said something else.  “Okay. We’re going to Cincinnati. I have two days worth of things planned.  It’s your birthday gift. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Okay.”  Kurt smiled with a hint of victory.

 

The first stop on of the day was at the[ Cincinnati Art Museum](https://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/).  When they pulled into the parking lot, there was a giant statue of Pinocchio.  “Pinocchio!” Kurt said excitedly, “I love Pinocchio! You have to take my picture in front of him.”

Sebastian smiled, “Okay.  I figured you liked Disney.  You seem to have all the animated movies in your DVD collection.”

“Oh, I _love_ Disney.  I’m a huge Disney nerd.”  

“Have you ever been to Walt Disney World?”

“Only in my dreams,” Kurt sighed.  “Have you?”

“Yes.  I know you would love it.” Sebastian smiled at him as he parked the car.  He was filing this information away for future use.

“Someday…” Kurt said dreamily.

“Someday.”  Sebastian echoed.

 

After taking Kurt’s picture in front of Pinocchio, the boys entered the museum and headed to the tables where they could print out their own personal scavenger hunt.  

“We can do our own scavenger hunt?”  Kurt asked.

“Yep.  Just answer the questions and select the pictures, then we print it out at the information desk behind us.”

Kurt smiled, “Wow, you really have done your research.”

Sebastian just winked at him.  

They printed out their scavenger hunt booklet, and set off on their way.  They were impressed with the architecture of the building, and the artwork inside was amazing.  They spent the longest amount of time on the second floor looking at artist they were familiar with, like Monet, Matisse, Hopper, Warhol, Nevelson, Chagall, van Gogh, Picasso and more.  

“I’m really impressed with this museum.  They have so many pieces from artists that I actually know.  Who would have thought that you could see these in Ohio.” Kurt said as he stared at Modigliani painting.

“It is really impressive here.  I mean, it’s not the Louvre, but for a city in the midwest, it really is impressive.”  Sebastian put his hand on Kurt’s back, “And not every town in Ohio is as backward as Lima.”

“I know.  It’s just hard to remember that when you get the crap beat out of you for being different.”  

He kissed Kurt’s temple, “I know, Babe. It won’t be long, and we’ll be in the big city for good.”

Kurt smiled softly, “I can’t wait.”

 

They found all of the artwork on their scavenger hunt and then made their way down to the cafe on the first floor.  Outside the cafe was a Miro mural and a Calder mobile. Kurt stopped and stared at the mobile. He loved the way it moved slowly with the air flow.  It was almost hypnotizing.

They ate lunch as they looked out the window at the gardens and discussed what they had seen so far.

Sebastian asked, “What’s your favorite piece so far?”

“Hmm, well, I was thinking it was the van Gogh painting.  I’ve always been fascinated with his story, and his art. Did you know he only sold one painting is whole life?”

“Really?”

“Yep.  His brother basically supported him.  Sent him money to buy food, but he usually spent it on paint.  I love how he put it on the canvas so thick. I really want to touch it.”  Kurt smirked. “But now, as much as I love Vincent, that Alexander Calder mobile out there had me in a trance.  The balance and movement are very soothing,” He paused for a beat, “What’s your favorite?”

“Definitely the Chihuly sculpture hanging in the lobby.  Glass blowing fascinates me, and I love his work. I’m drawn to the 3D sculptural pieces.  I really liked the Rookwood Pottery gallery as well.”

“I liked it too.  I didn’t know it had such a connection to Cincinnati.  So what’s your least favorite pieces in the museum?”

Sebastian thought about.  “I guess I don’t have anything specific that I don’t like.  Even if the piece isn’t ‘beautiful’ or thought provoking, I still love the history behind it.  But if I had to choose, the Matisse painting was probably my biggest disappointment. It kind of looks unfinished.”

“It really did,” Kurt shrugged, “Maybe it was.”

“What was your least favorite?”

“Can my answer be my ‘weirdest’ instead of least favorite?” Kurt asked.

“Sure,”  Seb smirked.

“I don’t even know what to call them, but the pictures made out of human hair.  They were beautiful and intricate, and I get the history behind it, but it’s still weird.”  Kurt made a face.

Sebastian chuckled and agreed with him.

On the way out of the museum, the boys stopped in the gift shop.  They bought a magnet, planning to buy a magnet in every trip they went on, so they could put them on their refrigerator in New York.  It would be a great reminder of all of their adventures together.

 

The next stop was the boy's hotel.  It was too early for check-in, but they could park the car and drop of their bags.  Sebastian pulled up to the[ 21c Museum Hotel ](https://www.hotels.com/ho415407/21c-museum-hotel-cincinnati-mgallery-cincinnati-united-states-of-america/?rffrid=sem.hcom.US.google.003.00.04.s.kwrd=c.303233697727.65377852288.1587285035.1t2.dsa-549810704585.9015732..0.Cj0KCQjwyerpBRD9ARIsAH-ITn9Kvhtn9p640Ivb5HDNBFLdEm9KcUJOjdfgttkOVK3g5LC4p2wgqRUaApQNEALw_wcB.aw.ds&PSRC=G21&gclid=Cj0KCQjwyerpBRD9ARIsAH-ITn9Kvhtn9p640Ivb5HDNBFLdEm9KcUJOjdfgttkOVK3g5LC4p2wgqRUaApQNEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds)in the heart of downtown Cincinnati. He had the car parked by the valet after getting their bags out.  

They dropped their bags at the front desk, and boarded the streetcar and headed to[ Findlay Market.](http://www.findlaymarket.org/) The market was like stepping back in time, but was progressive all at the same time. They sampled food along the way, but decided to have some gelato and sit inside and people watch.   

They rode the streetcar around the city, taking in the dozens of murals that adorned the city buildings along the way.  They passed[ Cincinnati Music Hall ](https://www.cincinnatiarts.org/music-hall)and Washington Park, then headed down to [The Banks](http://thebankscincy.com/) on the riverfront. The view of Kentucky was nice, but they enjoyed having their backs to the river and looking at the Cincinnati skyline the best.  They rode the giant Ferris wheel that had enclosed compartments. It gave them great views, but a little privacy too. Kurt was holding Sebastian’s hand, and then leaned over and kissed him. “Thank you, Bas. I’m having a really good time.”

“You’re welcome, Babe.  But we haven’t even gotten to the good stuff yet.”  

They rode Carol Ann’s Carousel quick before leaving The Banks and heading back to the hotel to check in and change.   

Once they got back to the 21c Museum Hotel, Kurt really took a minute to take in his surroundings.  The hotel was modern, and it was as if the whole hotel _was_ the museum.  There was artwork everywhere, even the elevator.  The room was modern and sleek, with original artwork as well.  

“This place is amazing, Bas.”

“I’m glad you like it,”  Sebastian kissed him softly.  “We’re going to eat a late dinner.  Is that okay, or do you need something to eat sooner?”

“No, late is fine.  I’m not hungry yet.”  
“We have about an hour before I’d like to leave.  Why don’t you go ahead and shower.”

Kurt shook his head, “Nope.  I think _we_ need to shower.  Shower with me?”

“Mmm, I like the sound of that,”  He kissed him as he wrapped his arms around Kurt’s waist, “It would be my pleasure.”

The shower took a little longer than normal since they both got a little...distracted...but they still managed to get ready in time for Sebastian’s plans to come to fruition.  Kurt walked out of the bathroom wearing his suit and Sebastian was already in his, standing in the room waiting. When the saw each other, they paused and stared.

“Wow, Babe.  You look amazing.”  

Kurt was a little breathless.  Kurt felt like he was looking at a model off the pages of Vogue, “You do too,”  He quietly added as he walked to his boyfriend, “How did I get so lucky?”

Sebastian wrapped his arms around Kurt again and kissed him.  “I’m the lucky one, Kurt.  I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Bas.”  

 

The boys headed out and hopped on the streetcar. When they got off, Kurt looked around.  “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see. We just have to walk a block, and then we’ll be there.”  Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hand as they walked.

They turned the corner and Sebastian looked at Kurt to see if any of it had dawned on him yet.  They were standing right in front of [The Aronoff Center](https://cincinnatiusa.com/things-to-do/attractions/aronoff-center-arts), and the marque was lit up with signs for the off Broadway production of _RENT_.

Kurt looked up, and his eyes widened.  He looked at Sebastian with the same wide eyes.  Sebastian couldn’t have smiled bigger if he tried.  “Let’s go,” Sebastian said as he pulled Kurt toward the door.

When they got inside, Sebastian went to will call. “Hi, I’m Sebastian Smythe.  I’m here to see Mrs. Dietch.”

“Oh, yes.  She’s expecting you.  Just a moment, Mr. Smythe.”  

Sebastian turned to Kurt, who looked thoroughly confused.  Sebastian just winked at him.

A middle aged woman with shoulder length brown hair and a plump figure came out from around the corner.  “Mr. Smythe?”

“Yes.  Please, call me Sebastian.”  He shook her hand.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Sebastian.  I’m Carrie Dietch. Call me Carrie. ” She said.

“Thank you, Carrie. This is my boyfriend, Kurt Hummel.”  Sebastian gestured to Kurt.

Kurt shook her hand, “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Oh, you too.  You look a little confused,”  She grinned at Kurt and he shook his head ‘yes’.  “Well, don’t you worry. This boyfriend of yours has something very special planned for you.”  Both boys smiled.

Carrie took the boys through several sets of doors and hallways, and eventually came to a room at the end of a hall.  She knocked a couple of times, and then opened the door. There was a group of fifteen or so people sitting around eating Chinese takeout.  She cleared her throat and said, “Everyone, this is Sebastian Smythe, and his boyfriend, Kurt Hummel. They are the ones we told you were coming.”

Kurt looked to Sebastian, whose hand he was still holding, with a questioning eyes.

Everyone smiled and said some ‘hellos’ and then one man spoke up with a grin, “He didn’t tell you a thing, did he?”

“No, I’m afraid not.  I have a very sneaky boyfriend.”  Kurt smiled.

A girl giggled, and said, “Well, we’re some of the cast and crew from _RENT,”_ she said, “And you, my dear, are here to entertain us.”

Sebastian laughed, and Kurt just looked even more confused.  He said, “Well, I can be pretty entertaining.” Sebastian laughed harder.  Kurt just looked at him.

Sebastian smiled and rolled his eyes playfully, “Okay, okay.  I’ll talk,” The cast and crew all chuckled, “I made a few phone calls and sent a few emails.  And, I kind of told them how amazing you are… How much you have been through, how strong you are to get through it all.  I told them how amazing your voice is, and how it’s your dream to sing on the big stage. Aaaand, I must have been pretty convincing.”  He shrugged.

Kurt was still just looking at him.  

Another cast member spoke up, “So what he’s getting at is that you are going to go out there on that stage right now, and sing _us_ a song or two. We get to be the audience tonight.  Then after that, we get to entertain _you,_ and a few hundred other people, with our production of _RENT_.”

Kurt’s eyes were wide, and his mouth was slightly open, with his eyebrows raised, “Are you serious?”  They all just nodded their heads ‘yes’. “Well okay then!” Kurt smiled, and everyone chuckled.

They all gathered up their garbage and tossed it in the trash on the way out the door.  They lead Kurt and Sebastian to the backstage area. One of the cast members looked at Kurt as they looked around the corner of the curtains into the seats, and asked, “How does it feel?”

Kurt smiled and looked at him, “Like home.”

They smiled and patted him on the back.  He motioned to the orchestra who was warming up.  “They know every song imaginable, especially a Broadway number.  What would you like them to play first?”

Kurt looked at Sebastian and Sebastian said, “Defying Gravity?  I know it’s one of your favorites.”

The cast all looked at each other.  They were impressed that he could possibly pull that off.  They all smiled, ready to be entertained. “Well, entertain us!,”  One cast member said, as they put a mic on Kurt. They all made their way down to the audience with Sebastian and sat, ready for Kurt to sing.

Kurt walked over and put in his request with the orchestra.  The lights dimmed, and a soft spotlight lit him up like the star he was.  Sebastian pulled out his phone so he could record it, taking a few pictures first.  Kurt began singing, and you could hear a few gasps from the cast. Kurt _owned_ the stage.  He hit every note flawlessly, and completely captivated those watching.  A few crew members came to the sides of the stage by the curtains to watch.  

When the song was over, everyone, including the orchestra, stood and gave him a round of applause.  “That was unbelievable!,” said one of the cast.

“Thank you.”  Kurt smiled.

“One more?  Please?” Another cast member requested.

“What would you like to hear?”  Kurt asked.

Sebastian stood, “[I’ll Cover You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUY_st9c-QA)… As a duet.”

Kurt beamed, “It would be my pleasure.”  

The cast and crew all cheered and whistled. Sebastian handed his phone over for someone to record it, and he made his way to the stage and joined Kurt.  A crew member came and put a mic on Sebastian. Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hand, and they turned to the audience as the orchestra started to play.

Kurt looked at Sebastian and began, “Live in my house, I'll be your shelter, just pay me back with one thousand kisses. Be my lover, I'll cover you.”

Sebastian looked into Kurt’s eyes and began the next line, “Open your door, I'll be your tenant.  Don't got much baggage, to lay at your feet. But sweet kisses, I've got to spare, I'll be there and I'll cover you.”

Together they swung each other around and sang, “I think they meant it, When they said you can't buy love. Now I know you can rent it, A new lease you are my love. On life, be my life. Just slip me on, I'll be your blanket.  Wherever, whatever I'll be your coat.”

Kurt sang, “You'll be my king, and I'll be your castle.”

Sebastian smiled, “No, you be my queen, and I'll be your moat.”

They continued the song through to the end.  Everyone was on their feet again, yelling and cheering.  The cast member holding Sebastian’s phone, who happened to play Angel in the production, panned to the audience to get their reaction, and then turned it on himself and said, “Well, that wasn’t good job security for _me_!  Holy cow!”

From behind the curtain, a man walked out on stage.  The cast and crew quieted down, still smiling, and Kurt and Sebastian noticed and turned to see what everyone was looking at.  He walked up to the boys and shook their hands, “I’m Tom Warren, the producer of the show.” Kurt and Sebastian shook his hand and introduced themselves.  He looked at Kurt, “I have to say, I wasn’t going to come out and listen. Honestly, I thought you’d be another high school kid with big dreams and a decent voice,”  He shrugged, but then smiled as big as he could, “But you, young man, are the real deal. That was incredible. Do you have any training?”

Kurt smiled, “Thank you, sir.  No, I do not have any training.  Only singing with my Glee Club in Lima.”

Tom chuckled, “Well, shit.  I can’t imagine what you’d be like with training.  You’re going to go far, kid. And when you’re ready, look me up.  I’ll remember you, that’s for sure.” He turned to Sebastian who was beaming, “And you weren’t too bad yourself,” he said as he hit him in the arm.  He looked back to Kurt as he nodded to Sebastian, “This one is a keeper.”

Kurt smiled, “Don’t I know it.  Thank you, sir. It was so nice to meet you.”

“Call me Tom, Kurt.  The pleasure was all mine.”  He walked off stage and wasn’t seen again for the rest of the night.

The cast and crew all came on stage and gave hugs and congratulations on a job well done.  They handed Sebastian back his phone. One of the cast invited the boys to go out to eat with the cast after the show.  Sebastian looked at Kurt, who looked like a deer in the headlights, and Sebastian accepted the offer. They brought out two _RENT_ t-shirts and two Playbills.  They all signed them, then made arrangements for where to meet the boys after the performance.

Kurt and Sebastian made their way back to the lobby, and rested on a bench as they waited for the doors to officially open.  Sebastian went to get the tickets from will call, and returned to Kurt, who was staring off in space. “You okay, Babe?”

Kurt looked at Sebastian, “Bas, that was the most amazing thing that I’ve ever gotten to do.  Thank you so much.”

Sebastian sat next to him and put his hand on his face, “Your welcome, Babe.  You deserve that spotlight. You are amazing. I can’t wait to come to opening night of your first big show.”

Kurt smiled and stole a quick kiss.  “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

 

When the time came, they took their seats and watched the show.  It was so amazing, and Kurt was in a trance watching. At intermission, Kurt said, “You know, this is the first time I’ve been to a big show.”

Sebastian looked surprised, “Really?  You never went to Columbus or Toledo, or anywhere?”

“Nope.  Talk about going in with guns blazing!”  They laughed.

When the second half of the show was over, they stood and cheered, just like everyone else.  They made their way to the side door, where the cast told them to meet them. They took their time, knowing that the cast would be awhile.  When the cast showed up, they asked a crew member to take a picture of everyone together. They headed across the street to Nicholson’s, where they had made a reservation for a large group.   

“You were all amazing!”  Kurt exclaimed, and Sebastian agreed.  

“Thanks, Kurt.  I have a feeling it won’t be long until you may be joining us on stage.  Or with a voice like that, you may just head straight to Broadway.”

Kurt blushed, “Thank you.  I hope that’s how it all works out.”

One of the women from the show asked, “So, I’m assuming that’s what you’ll do next year?  Go to New York?”

“Yeah, that’s our plan.”  He grabbed Sebastian’s hand, “I’m applying to NYADA, Parsons, FIT, and a few more.”

“Parsons?”

“Yeah, I love fashion and making my own clothes too.  But I really, really love the stage. I’m applying to all of them, and seeing where it takes me.”

The guy who played Colin spoke up, “You could always do both.  NYADA has a costume design program too. Or go to Parsons and then audition your butt off.”  Kurt nodded, deep in thought.

Someone else turned to Sebastian, “What about you?”

“I’m hoping for Columbia Med School.”  He answered.

“He’ll get in.  He’s got straight A’s at a prestigious boarding school.”  Kurt bragged, and Sebastian smiled softly at him.

Someone else asked, “So how long have you two been together?”

Sebastian answered, “Going on four months.”

“Really?  The way you two are together, I would have thought a lot longer.”

“Yeah, well, we’ve been through a lot in those few months.  And we were almost an instant thing. We hit it off from the beginning.”  Kurt said, looking at Sebastian.

“We know a little bit about your history.  I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“Thanks.  I hate that it happened, but it did bring us together,”  He looked at Sebastian and smiled a soft smile, “and we’ve been through a lot since.  Bas has been my rock. I know he told you about what happened, but he probably left out the fact that he saved me.  He knocked the guy out.”

One of the girls said, “Wow.  Wait, you’ve been through even more since the email?”

“Yeah,”  Sebastian answered.  “Kurt is actually still recovering from another incident.  He’s tough though.”

“Only because you help me be.”  Kurt said to Sebastian.

“We are very lucky.”  Sebastian said without taking his eyes off of Kurt.  

They ate their meals, and everyone enjoyed sharing their stories with Kurt and Sebastian about their experiences on the road, or roles that had in New York, and other big cities.  They all wished them well at the end of the night, and even exchanged Twitter handles. The guy who played Angel made sure to get a chance to speak to Kurt before they walked off.

“Hun, I want you to know that Tom, the producer, does not hand out compliments to just anyone.  You must have really impressed him. Just like you impressed all of us. It really was a pleasure meeting you.  I hope to see you in New York next year.”

Kurt hugged and him, “Thank you so much.  This night has been like a dream.” They smiled at each other and then went their separate ways.  

Kurt and Sebastian decided to walk back to their hotel.  They made sure to walk through [Fountain Square](https://cincinnatiusa.com/events/macys-light-square). There was a large Christmas tree and skating rink where they took a couple of selfies.  

Once they made it to the hotel room, Kurt plopped down on the bed.  “Bas that was amazing.” He looked up at him, “Thank you.”

“It was my pleasure.  I’m so glad you enjoyed yourself.  They seemed really impressed with you, Babe.  Did it help you make a decision?”

“Well, I have no doubt that I’ll apply to NYADA now.  I was kind of on the fence.”

“You were born for the stage, Babe.  You were incredible.”

Kurt smiled at him, and leaned up to kiss him.

Sebastian asked, “Are you tired?”  Kurt nodded ‘yes’.

Sebastian asked, “Do you want to go to sleep?”  Kurt smiled and shook his head ‘no’.

Sebastian smiled in response.  They made love twice before passing out from exhaustion.

 

………………..

 

The next morning they slept in just a little bit.  After showers, they headed to the Over The Rhine neighborhood and had breakfast at [Taste Of Belgium.  ](https://authenticwaffle.com/)

“Oh my gosh, these waffles are amazing.”  Sebastian said.

“Mine too.  I could easily become addicted.”  

“So.  What was your favorite part of the evening yesterday?’  Sebastian asked.

Kurt smiled and batted his eyelashes.  Sebastian chuckled and added, “While we were out.”

“Oh.  Well, then in that case, it was singing on stage.  Especially singing with you.”

Sebastian smiled.  “As much as I enjoyed that, my favorite part was watching you sing Defying Gravity.  It was like watching the future or something. It was perfection.”

Kurt smiled and blushed a little.  

 

After breakfast, they took the streetcar back to the hotel to check out.    
“Where to now?  Home?” Kurt asked.

“Nope.”  They drove to [Krohn Conservatory](https://www.cincinnatiparks.com/krohn/) and spent an hour looking at all of the beautiful plants.  They had a large holiday display that Kurt especially liked.

 

Once they were in the car, Kurt asked again, “Where to this time?  Home?”

Sebastian smiled, “Nope.  We’re going to a special type of store.”

Kurt’s eyes widened, “It’s not the Hustler store is it?  Because I’m more of a ‘order-it-online’ kind of guy.”

Sebastian laughed, “No, Babe.  You’ll enjoy it, I promise.”

They drove about thirty minutes outside of Cincinnati to a grocery store called [Jungle Jim’s.](https://junglejims.com/about-us/video-photo-gallery/)  

“What kind of store is this?  Are those fake elephants in that fountain?”  Kurt was really curious about this place.

Sebastian smiled, “It’s a grocery store.  And yes, those are elephants. And maybe those,”  He pointed, “are Ohio’s only live palm trees?”

“Wow.  This will be interesting.”

They went inside, and they both stood there as still as could be and tried to take it all in.  “This place is HUGE.” Kurt whispered. “And weird!.... I like it! Let’s get a cart!”

Sebastian laughed.  “Alright. Lead the way.”

Kurt smiled, “Oh look.  They have maps of the store.  That has to help. You can’t even see any of the other three walls.  This place has to be huge.” He grabbed the map and then returned to the cart.

They headed to the international section first, roaming up and down the aisles and discussing the things they found.  

“Oh my gosh, there has to be a hundred different kinds of hot sauce here.  This one is even in a special childproof container.” Kurt was examining all of the different kinds.

“Your dad would like the bacon section behind you,”  Sebastian laughed.

Kurt turned and looked, “Bacon flavored cotton candy? Yuck.  I should get it for Dad. It’ll make a good stocking stuffer.”

When they got to the France section, Sebastian lit up.  He was like a kid in a candy store, putting all sorts of things in the cart and telling Kurt about different items.  “I’m getting stuff for Mom and Leah, for sure. And some stuff for us to try.”

Kurt grinned, “You miss it, don’t you?  Living in France…”

Sebastian stopped and looked at Kurt.  He took a couple of steps closer to him and put his hand on Kurt’s waist, “I miss the city.  I miss my grandparents. But I don’t miss the other people I knew.” He kissed Kurt’s forehead, “And, some day, I’ll take you there.”

Kurt smiled, “I would like that very much.”

 

As they continued down the aisle, they came across a two row movie theater playing the history of ‘Jungle Jim’.  They watched and then made their way to the candy section. They couldn’t believe the number of Pez dispensers and the large variety of candies.  

“I need to use the restroom.  I’ll be right back.” Sebastian said.

“Okay, I won’t leave the bakery.  It’s right there.”

Sebastian made his way around the corner where the signs all directed to go.  He froze and furrowed his brow. _An outhouse in the middle of the store?_ He thought.  And just as he was about to turn away and look for a different restroom, two men walked out.   _What in the world?_

He slowly opened the outhouse door, and inside, it opened up into a large, highly themed restroom with several stalls.  He chuckled to himself and then went about his business.

When Sebastian returned to find Kurt, he had finished in the candy section and ventured into the neighboring bakery.  He walked up and behind him and placed his hand on his lower back. “Find anything good?”

“Mmm, I don’t know.  It all looks good, but I can’t imagine that it’s better than Sugar’s.”

“I agree.  Let’s go over to the meats, and I’ll tell you all about my restroom adventure,” Sebastian grinned.

Kurt looked at him like he had two heads, “Okaaay…”.  Sebastian told him about it and Kurt cracked up. He had to make sure he saw it before they left.  

“Oh my gosh… Cow tongue?  Yuck.” Kurt made a face.

“Yeah, and rattlesnake, kangaroo, and chicken feet.  The list goes on and on,” Sebastian added, “Let’s move out of the meat section.”

They continued on and found animated characters like you would find in Chuck E. Cheese, a boat and even an airplane in the store.  

They went ahead and checked out.  Kurt made Sebastian let him pay for the items he was buying as parts of Christmas gifts.  Otherwise, Sebastian hadn’t let him even take out his wallet.

Once they were in the car, Kurt asked, “That was the weirdest, coolest, store I have ever been in!  What was your favorite part?”

Sebastian smiled, “Is it weird that it was the bathroom?”

Kurt laughed, “Yeah, it kind of is.  Okay, let’s rephrase that. What was your favorite item that you saw today?”

Sebastian thought about it, “Mmm, I think my favorite was the Balisto candy bars.  Leah and I loved those. She’ll be so excited to have one again. How about you?”

Kurt said, “Well, I think my favorite thing were the props used in each section.  I mean, bumper cars turned into candy displays? Jungle Jim is an artistic genius,”  he chuckled, “but I don’t think I can pick just one favorite item.”

“Well, next time we come, I’m bringing a cooler so we can buy some of that French cheese. It was making my mouth water,”  Sebastian smiled.

Kurt was looking at the map from the store, “Oh, they offer tours on weekdays.  Maybe we can do that this summer. Or spring break,” He paused, “Do we have the same spring break?”  

“I hope so.  Can you look it up?”

Kurt got his phone out and looked up the calendars of both McKinley and Dalton.  “We do! Yay. We’ll have to think of some things to do.”

Sebastian already knew what he wanted to do.  He just had to make it happen. “Don’t go too crazy planning.  I have somewhere I really want to take you. I’m hoping I can make it work.”

“And where would that be?,”  Kurt asked with a flirtatious flair.  

Sebastian smiled, “I promise not to keep you in the dark about it completely, but I don’t want to say anything until I’m pretty sure I can make it work.”

Kurt smiled, “Okay, I can handle that.”  Sebastian smiled.

 

They drove for a little while longer, and Kurt decided to check his social media pages.  He was shocked when he got the notification for his Twitter account.

“Oh my god, Bas,”  Kurt said quietly, and as calmly as he could, “Chris Radcliffe, they guy who plays Colin, posted two videos from last night!  One of each song… The first one is of Defying Gravity and he captioned it, ‘Introducing Kurt Hummel. Keep an eye out for him. He’ll be making it big when he gets to New York next year.’”  He looked at Sebastian who was just beaming with pride. “The second one says, ‘Could these love birds sing any better together? Mine and @BenSanders job security is at risk.’”

“Wow!  That’s quite the compliment!”  Sebastian was beaming.

“Is this all a dream?,”  Kurt whispered.

“No, Babe.  All real. Real talent deserves real recognition.  You were amazing last night, just like every time you perform.”  Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hand and kissed his knuckles.

The boys stopped at a small cafe and ate dinner before getting  back on the road to head home. Once they were back in Lima, Kurt groaned, “Uugh.  Lima.”

Sebastian chuckled, “I know, Babe.  It won’t be long, and we’ll be out of here.  Off to New York so we can live out our dreams.”  

Kurt smiled dreamily looking out the window, “Yeah.”  Sebastian reached over and put his hand on Kurt’s leg.  Kurt placed his hand over Sebastian’s and squeezed.

 

When they got to Kurt’s house, they entered the living room where everyone was gathered and watching a movie.  They paused the movie when the boys walked in.

“How was your weekend?”  Burt asked.

“It was amazing!,”  Kurt said. He continued to tell everyone about their weekend and all of the amazing things they got to do.  He was beaming, and so was Sebastian, just from watching Kurt talk about it. Everyone was smiling, and loving seeing Kurt so happy.  He had had a tough go of things and really deserved to be happy like he so obviously was at the moment.

They showed everyone the pictures and the videos of them singing, and everyone was over the moon excited to see it.  

“Dude, that’s amazing!”  Finn said. Everyone was singing Kurt’s praise, and he just glowed.

 

When Sebastian left to go home, Kurt walked him to the car. “Bas, I can’t thank you enough for such a wonderful weekend. The party, and everything we did in Cincinnati...  I’ve never had so much fun in my life.”

Sebastian smiled, “Seeing you so happy is thanks enough, Babe.  Happy Birthday.” Sebastian wrapped his arms around Kurt and kissed him.  “I love you.”

Kurt sighed the most content sigh and whispered, “I love you, too.”

They held each other for several minutes, not wanting to let go.  

 

Sebastian stopped at home quick to drop off his bags and pick up his laundry before headed back to Dalton.  Tori and Robert were at the kitchen island when he walked in.

“Hey, Seb!  How did it go?  Everything happen the way you wanted?”  Robert asked.

“Better!  We had the best time for the entire trip.  But when we got to the Aronoff Center, things went even better than planned.  We went back and met the cast and some of the crew. Kurt was clueless as to what was going on.  We finally told him that he got to sing, and he lit up. He _owned_ that stage.  So much so that the cast asked him to sing a second song, and the producer came out and introduced himself, telling Kurt to look him up when he was in New York and ready to audition for things. He exchanged Twitter handles with some of them, and one even ‘introduced him to the world’ this morning, posting his own video.   I have a couple of videos and lots of pictures.” Sebastian walked over and stepped in between his parents to show them the pictures and videos.

“Oh my gosh, he looks like he belongs on that stage.”  Tori said.

“He really does.  It was like seeing the future.”  Sebastian smiled.

“He really is amazing!”  Robert added.

They watched the next video of the duet and Tori became teary.  “Mom, are you crying?”

“Yes.  It’s all just so beautiful.  And you two look so in love and you sound so good together.”

“Well, we _are_ in love.”  Sebastian smiled as he put his hand on her shoulder.

She smiled through her tears, “I know.  I’m going to start planning the wedding now.”

Sebastian laughed and Robert smiled as he said, “Not that I wouldn’t love to have Kurt as my son-in-law, but they are a bit young, Honey.”

“Well, it won’t be next week, but it will happen eventually.”  She said.

“Eventually,”  Sebastian smiled.  “I want to see how things go in New York, but I’m not waiting forever, either. I’m not big on waiting until I graduate med school.  That’s too long of a wait.”

Robert and Tori smiled at each other.  They were so happy that their son had turned things around, and that he had found the love of his life.  They knew he was young. They knew it was too soon for a wedding. But they were so happy for their son, that they couldn’t help but dream about it.  

 

 


	27. Deck The Halls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cheer competition and Christmas decorating. Will religion be an issue between the boys? How will Kurt handle it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos welcome and encouraged! I don't have much else to say. Maybe I'm just too tired to think....  
> 

 

The next week and a half were great.  Kurt was riding high from his birthday weekend, and he and Sebastian saw each other as often as possible. The Cheerios competition that would determine if they went to Nationals was coming up, and Kurt was nervous and excited at the same time.  If he could just get through that, it would be time for Winter Break, and he could relax a little.

On Wednesday, Sebastian was sitting in the bleachers of the gym watching Coach Sylvester push the Cheerios to perfection, keeping them past the normal end time.  He watched Kurt strut and sing, and couldn’t help but smile. It was different song from the last competition. This time they were doing ‘ _NO_ ’ by Meghan Trainor.  The routine was sexy, and Kurt worked it perfectly.

Once practice was over, Kurt ran up the bleachers to Sebastian.  “Hey, Bas,” He leaned over and gave him a quick kiss, “Do you mind if I go shower quick?  I’m extra sweaty today, and I don’t think I can stand to go out like this.”

“Sure, Babe.  Is the locker room unlocked this time?”

“It will be.  Coach said she’d unlock it for me.  I promise I’ll be fast.”

“Alright.”  Sebastian got up and followed Kurt down the bleachers.  Coach was waiting for Kurt at the doors to the gym, and when she saw Sebastian following him, she looked at him with a raised eyebrow, wondering what he thought he was doing.

Sebastian gave her a look and said, “Do you really think I’m going to let him go in there by himself?  I’ll wait outside if you want, but I’m not going to just sit in here and let him go. Not with all the jackasses this school has.”

Kurt shrugged his shoulders at Coach, silently challenging her to question or challenge Sebastian.  She didn’t say anything. She just nodded and walked them to the locker room. Sebastian waited in the hallway, just to make Coach feel better.  

 

Once Kurt came out, they headed to Lima Bean.  As they sat and had their coffee, Sebastian brought up college.

“Have you sent in any of your applications for colleges yet?”

“Yeah, I’ve applied to all of the ones on my list that do not require a portfolio, video, or vocal audio file.  I still need to record the vocals, but I’m almost finished getting my fashion portfolios together.”

Sebastian put his hand on Kurt’s leg and mindlessly rubbed with his thumb, “I’d like to see your portfolio.”

Kurt smiled softly, “Alright.  Maybe this weekend. Have you applied anywhere yet?”

Sebastian nodded and answered, “Yeah.  I have all of my applications in.”

“Where did you apply besides Columbia?”

“Well, I went for schools in New York first - NYU School of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, but I also applied to Yale and Harvard.”  

Kurt made a face, “Would you go there?”  He was a little worried. He did NOT want to be away from Sebastian.

Sebastian smiled, “Don’t worry, Babe.  If I can’t get into the New York schools, there’s no way I can get into Yale or Harvard.  Besides, I kind of just wanted to see if they would accept me. Boost my ego a little.” They both chuckled.

“Are Jeff and Nick coming to the competition on Saturday?  I meant to text Jeff, and I got side tracked.” Kurt hoped to see his friends again soon.

“Yeah, I think so.  Last time I checked, they were.  Is anyone else coming?”

“Just Puck and Sugar are.  Dad and Carol will be in DC for the last time until mid-January, so they won’t be going.  Sam is going home for the first week of break, and Finn is going with Rachel and her Dads to her aunt’s Hanukkah celebration.”

“If it’s okay with you, my parents would like to see you perform.  They wouldn’t be able to stay for the whole day, but at least for you guys, and maybe one or two other schools.  Leah will stay with me.”

“Sure.  That would be nice.  It’s not as sexy as the last one, so I won’t be too embarrassed.”  Kurt winked at Sebastian with a smirk.

Sebastian smiled at his boyfriend, then kissed his forehead.  “I’m sure they’ll love it.”

 

…………..

 

On Saturday morning, McKinley’s bus rolled into the Nutter Center at Wright State University.  The parking was already half full and there were buses full of cheerleaders from all over the state emptying into the building.  

Once inside, Coach Sylvester was giving the group a directions and pep talks.  She worked them through warm ups and an additional practice that took place in one of the large back rooms that they shared with another squad.  Once she gave them a break, Kurt headed out to the nearest drinking fountain to refill his water bottle. As he waited he heard a guy’s voice from right behind him.

“Hi there.”

Kurt turned and gave a small smile.  “Hi,” and then he turned back around.

“I’m Chris.  I cheer with Urbana.  What’s your name?”

“Kurt.  I cheer with William McKinley.”  He smiled politely and then turned back to move forward in the line at the fountain.

“So, are you a base or a spotter?,”  Chris asked.

Kurt turned to look at Chris, “No.  The girls do the lifting and spotting. I’m more of the, uh, musical talent…?”

Chris’ face lit up, “Oh, _your_ the group our coach is scared of!” and he laughed.

Kurt smiled, “Well, I’m glad we have a reputation.”

“Oh, you do.  I hope I get to see the performance.”  Chris smiled.

Kurt turned to take his turn filling his water bottle.  When he turned back to leave he smiled and said, “It was nice to meet you, Chris.”

“You too, Kurt,”  Kurt started to walk away and then Chris called back, “Kurt!”

Kurt stopped and turned toward Chris, “Can I get your number?”

Kurt gave him a small smile, “Sorry, Chris.  I don’t think that’s a good idea. Take care.”  He turned and walked away.

 

Kurt was back in the room where they had been practicing.  He was talking with a couple of girls when someone from the competition came in and wanted to talk to the two squads about what to expect, where to go, and what to do immediately following their performance.  

The two groups gathered and sat on the floor.  Kurt was sitting next to Santana and Brittany when Chris came and sat behind him.  

Chris leaned forward and whispered, “I won’t bother you after this, but will just tell me if me not getting your number is because of _me_ , or are you taken?”

Kurt leaned back and turned his head slightly, whispering, “You seem like a nice guy, Chris.  But I am very taken.”

Santana turned to him and glared, “ _Very_ taken”.  Kurt playfully smacked her on the arm with the back of his hand and rolled his eyes.

“Okay, okay,” is all Chris said in response as he put his hands up as if surrendering.  

 

Kurt’s family arrived at the Nutter Center about an hour before McKinley was set to perform. They took their seats, with Nick and Jeff sitting with Robert and Tori, and Sebastian, Leah, Sugar and Puck sitting behind them.  They watched a few squads perform, and then Tori leaned over to Jeff, “Jeff, is this what Kurt’s squad performs like? This doesn’t seem like what Sebastian described.”

Jeff smiled, “No.  McKinley is different.  Especially if it’s anything like the last competition.  And anything Kurt does, is above and beyond.” Tori smiled.

 

When McKinley was announced to perform and everyone straightened in their seats, cheering for the squad before they even began.  The lights were lowered and the spotlights came up.

 

All of the cheerleaders were in crouched positions in a circle surrounding Kurt, who struck a pose, frozen in position.  When the [music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMTAUr3Nm6I) came on, only Kurt moved, slowly swing his hips and moving his hands down his torso as he sang, “I think it’s cute and I think it’s sweet, How you let your friends encourage you to try to talk to me, But let me stop you there, oh, before you speak…”

The beat picked up and Kurt began to strut to the front as the Cheerios began to get up and begin their dance routine.  Kurt joined in for the routine, and Santana, Brittany, and Quinn sang backup, with Santana being the one who would lead the soulful parts of the backing vocals.

When the song ended, the crowd went wild, and no one more so than Kurt’s family.  They cheered and whistled, and yelled. They were so proud.

Tori turned around to Sebastian once the cheering died down, “That was incredible!”

Sebastian beamed, “Yes it was.  He’s amazing.”

Robert turned and added, “I know he loves fashion, but I just can’t imagine him not doing some sort of performing as a career.”

“Even if he does fashion design, I’m sure he’ll always find a way to perform in one way or another,”  Sebastian grinned.

Robert and Tori said their goodbyes to the group soon and headed out.  The rest of the group stayed for the other performances and the rewards.  

When the cheer squads all came out and took their seats on the floor, Sebastian noticed a guy on another squad who seemed to be making his way closer and closer to Kurt.  He smiled though when Santana moved from her spot and sat between Kurt and the guy who was now just a few feet away. He’d have to remember to thank her later.

Puck leaned over, “She’s got you covered,”  and winked at Sebastian.

Sebastian laughed and answered, “Apparently.”

 

McKinley was once again declared the winners, and everyone was jumping up and down with excitement.  Sebastian and their family made their way down to Kurt as quickly as they could. When Kurt saw Sebastian he ran and jumped into his arms.  Seb swung him around and kissed him. Chris was watching from where his team was sitting.

“You did it, Babe!  Congratulations! Nationals!”

Kurt smiled and then kissed Sebastian as he put him down, “Thanks, Bas!  I’m so excited!” and then kissed him a second time.

Everyone was singing Kurt’s praises, giving hugs and congratulating him when Chris walked up.  Kurt went right back into Sebastian’s embrace.

“So was that song just a coincidence?  I feel like you were singing to me,” He winked at Kurt.  Sebastian had his arm around Kurt’s waist and he tightened his grip.

Kurt gave a small smile, “Yes, Chris.  Just a coincidence. But like I said,” he looked at Sebastian, “I’m very taken.” Sebastian smiled down at him.

“Fair enough,”  Chris said as he nodded, smiled, and walked away.

Sebastian asked Kurt, “Everything okay?”

Kurt nodded and smiled, “Yeah.  Everything is fine.”

 

Coach Sylvester let Kurt leave with Sebastian, so they all decided to head to dinner in Dayton before making their way back home.

“Ugh.  I didn’t pack any other clothes.”  Kurt said as they walked out of the building.  “I didn’t know we’d be doing this.”

“Good thing you have a smart boyfriend then,”  Puck said as they stepped out into the parking lot.  Kurt just looked at him questioning what he was talking about.  Puck grinned, “He had me stop and get you some clothes before we came.”

Kurt looked at Sebastian who was smirking at him wordlessly.  “I guess I do have a smart boyfriend!” But then it dawned on him that Noah picked out his clothes, “Oh god, what did you pick out for me to wear?” Everyone chuckled.

“I’m insulted, Princess!”

“Don’t worry, Angel.  He picked me up first and I picked out your clothes.  You’ll approve,” Sugar smiled.

Kurt wrapped his arm around her shoulder and whispered, “Thank god,” and then kissed her on the temple.  She smiled at him and wrapped her arm around his waist and squeezed.

Sebastian looked at Puck and joked, “I think we’re losing them… to each other.”

Kurt and Sugar just grabbed on to each other tighter and smiled.

When they reached the cars, Puck grabbed a bag out of his truck and handed it to Kurt.

“Thanks, Noah,”  Kurt said as he leaned up and gave Puck a kiss on the cheek.  

“Anything for my Princess.”  Sebastian and Sugar smiled. “So where are we going to eat?”

Everyone just looked at each other for a minute, and then Nick said, “I’ve been to a place down here called Lily’s Bistro.  It was good. How about we go there? I don’t want a chain restaurant.”

Everyone agreed, so Puck said he would follow them to the restaurant and Nick would tell Sebastian how to get there.

Once they were in the car, Kurt said, “We need to get the car warmed up asap. I need to change. Cold + naked Kurt = Bad.”

Nick asked, “Why don’t you just wait until we get there?  Change in the bathroom.”

Jeff looked at Nick like he had two heads, “Do you even remember those several months when Kurt was your roommate?  First, he wouldn’t walk into a restaurant wearing one thing, and leave wearing another. And second, he would never take a chance on his things touching a bathroom floor.”

Nick answered as he nodded toward Kurt who was taking his shirt off, “Yeah, but the Kurt I knew would have never undressed in front of a car full of four other people.  It took him at least two months to change his shirt in front of me.”

Kurt said, “That’s true, but I was hiding bruises that took forever to fade.  Also, things change, Nicky.  Bas has seen my naked, and you guys saw pictures in court of everything I’m about to show now,”  He turned to Leah, “I’m not getting completely naked.  And, Leah, I just figure you’ll look away if you don’t want to see.”  Kurt chuckled.

“Doesn’t bother me any, if it doesn’t bother you.”  Leah answered.

“Damn, Kurt. Cheer leading has made you toned.  You look great,” Jeff said.

Sebastian turned to Kurt with a smirk and a wink, “Maybe this was a bad idea.”  They all laughed.

“Thanks, Jeffie.”

 

They were almost at the restaurant when Jeff couldn’t take it anymore, “Okay, Leah.  You have barely said anything all day. What’s wrong?”

Sebastian glanced at her in the rear view mirror. He knew what was wrong.

Leah sighed, “I’m just thinking.”

“About…?”  Nick prompted.

“Sam?”  Jeff asked gently.

“Yeah,”  Leah said quietly as she looked out the window at the world that was passing them by.  

Kurt looked at Sebastian who put his hand on Kurt’s knee.  Kurt turned and looked at Leah before saying, “He likes you too, ya know.”

“I know,”  Leah sighed.  “But it wouldn’t be fair to him if we starting seeing each other.”

“Why not?”  Jeff asked.

“Because.  We’d only get to see each other a couple times a month.  For me, that’s kind of normal, since I go to an all girls boarding school.  But for him, that isn’t fair. He could have any girl he wanted at McKinley, and he’d be able to see them every day.  I don’t want to do that to him.”

“If you both like each other, and you would be on board with being his girlfriend, why don’t you let _him_ decide if that’s what he wants?”  Nick asked.

“Because if he decides I’m not worth the risk of him being without his girlfriend all the time, it’ll be _my_ heart that he crushes.” Leah said without turning to look at anyone.

Kurt said, “Sometimes, taking that risk is totally worth it.”  He squeezed Sebastian’s hand.

 

Once they got a table at the restaurant and could comfortably have an uninterrupted conversation, Kurt asked everyone if they were ready for the holidays.  Most said yes, although everyone still had some shopping to do. Kurt, Sebastian, Leah, Puck, and Sugar, all made arrangements to go to the mall in the morning to finish up last minute shopping.  

During the discussion of the holidays, Kurt was shocked to find out that the Smythe’s had not put up their Christmas tree yet.  

“What!?  You guys have four and half days left!  You have to get that done!” Kurt said.

Leah and Sebastian just chuckled.

“Seriously.  Are your parents going to be home tonight?  You have to decorate,” Kurt insisted.

“Yes, actually, they will be home.  Would you like to help decorate?” Sebastian asked.

“Mmm, that’s a family thing, isn’t it?”  Kurt asked.

“You know as well as the rest of us that you ARE family.  You all are. Let's make it a party!” Leah said. It was the first time all day that she seemed to have some life back in her personality.  Everyone noticed and smiled at her reaction. There was no denying her the joy of it, so they all agreed.

“Okay, but we have to stop at the store and buy everything we need for baking Christmas cookies.  You can’t decorate the tree without baking.” Sugar said.

“Can we make one Hanukkah cookie, just for me?”  Puck asked.

Sugar chuckled and put a hand on his cheek, “Anything for you, Puck.”  She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

“You can all spend the night if you want.  You guys can borrow my clothes tomorrow if you need to.  Sugar, you can borrow Leah’s clothes. You’ll probably have to stay in Leah’s room.”  Sebastian said.

Puck frowned, “Again.  Everyone snuggles but me.  Just like two weeks ago.”

Sebastian laughed, “Sorry, Puck.  But if snuggles lead to more, our partners can’t get pregnant.  I think our parents realize that.” Everyone chuckled, including Puck.

“Yeah, okay.  Not that I don’t want babies, but now wouldn't be good.”  He smiled at Sugar, who winked at him.

“I’ll text Mom our plans.”  Leah said, still smiling. Then she paused, “Um, Seb...We’re going to have to stop and buy a tree!”  

Kurt was smiling, looking at Sebastian.  “Okay,” He smiled at his sister’s enthusiasm.  They hadn’t done this kind of thing in a few years.  Their grandparents in France didn’t decorate themselves.  They always hired someone to do it. They had put up a few holiday decorations for their aunt while they stayed there, but nothing major.  Just some stockings, and candles. Sebastian’s parents always hired people to decorate the outside of the house, but the tree and small indoor decor was up to them.

 

They found an open tree lot in Westerville, and set out to find the perfect tree.  Each couple took a different aisle, with Leah sticking with Nick and Jeff. Kurt would stop and smell a tree, and Sebastian would just smile at him.  Kurt turned to look at Sebastian, and then his grin widened ten-fold when a snowflake floated down in between them.

Sebastian’s face lit up, “Snow!”  Kurt giggled, and then leaned up to give Sebastian a quick kiss on the lips.  

Leah came running up to them, smiling ear to ear, “It’s snowing!  AND, I found the perfect tree!” All Kurt could think at that moment was how much he loved them both.  

 

When they got back to the Smythe home, Robert and Tori were waiting for everyone in the living room.  They had a fire in the fireplace and had the box of Christmas ornaments ready, as well as a couple of boxes of candles, stockings, and random Christmas decorations.  

“Let’s get decorating!”  Leah exclaimed as she walked in.  Trailing behind her were Kurt and Sugar who were carrying grocery bags full of baking supplies, and then Puck and Sebastian carrying the tree.  Robert and Tori were smiling at the bunch as they made their way inside.

“Look at you guys!  You even brought stuff to make cookies?!” Tori asked as he grabbed some bags from Sugar and helped carry them to the kitchen.

“Yep!  Can’t have holiday decorating without the smells of holiday baking,”  She smiled, “and candles that smell like cookies don’t count.”

“Oh, I forgot the tree stand.  I’ll go get it,” Robert added.  “Where are Nick and Jeff?”

“They went to get some clothes from Jeff’s house.  They’ll be right back,” Kurt said.

Sugar preheated the oven, “I love baking in your kitchen.  It’s so big and well laid out. It flows so nicely.”

“Our kitchen loves having you bake in it,” Sebastian smiled, “Feel free to do any time, as long as I get to eat some of it.”  He looked at Puck, “How are you not fat by now?”

“She taught me this thing called ‘portion control’.  Who knew?!” Puck grinned. Kurt chuckled and Sugar rolled her eyes lovingly. “Plus, I try to spend a bit of time in the weight room now that football is over.  Since I won’t be playing next year, I have to make sure I keep it up on my own.”

“You look great, as always, Puck.”  Sugar said as she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

“Thanks, Sugar.”  Puck smiled down at her and wrapped his arm around her.

Robert came back with the tree stand about the same time that Jeff and Nick returned.  Sebastian grabbed a pitcher of water and put it in the stand. Robert helped him put the tree in.  They both stepped back to look at it to make sure it wasn’t crooked. Robert patted Sebastian on the shoulder and said, “First try!  We’re good!” Sebastian smiled at him.

Puck grabbed the strands of lights, “Okay.  Who can put the lights on with the least amount of cussing?”

Leah raised her hand, “That would be me.  Mom, will you help?”

“Sure, Honey.”

Jeff had joined Kurt and Sugar at the kitchen counter.  “Can I help do anything? I want to be able to say I helped Sugar make her famous cookies.”

Sugar smiled but raised her eyebrow, “How do you know their ‘famous’, Jeffie?”

“Um, because they’re yours.  They may not technically be famous yet, but they will be.  All the Warblers still talk about your muffins.” She smiled.

“Oh!  I cannot believe I forgot to tell you!,”  Sebastian exclaimed, “I talked to the headmaster about you selling muffins at Dalton.  He actually laughed when I asked him about it, because he had already heard several students saying how they wanted Dalton to sell them.  Anyway, he said he’s willing to give a trial run. Maybe one or two days a week, for a couple of weeks. After that, he’ll see if sales are enough to make it worth it.”  Everyone was smiling and Sugar looked like she was a bit in shock, “Anyway, he wanted to meet with you about it. He said he’d check his email over break, so he could catch any communication from you.”

“Oh my gosh.  For real?” Sugar said without blinking.  

Kurt smiled at her, “Sugar, that’s amazing.  You have to email him.”

Puck came over to her and wrapped his arms around her, “What’s the matter, Sugar?”

“I just… People were talking about my muffins?”

Sebastian smiled, “Yeah.  You’re an amazing baker, Sugar.”

“They really are.  The guys who didn’t spend the night were jealous that we got muffins, but they also loved your cupcakes.”

Sugar slowly woke from her daze, “Okay...Okay!  Yeah, I can email him.”

 

Tori put on some instrumental Christmas music, and everyone began tackling different decorating jobs. Everyone began to sing almost instantly.  There was no denying the common bond they all had. It was beautiful.

Once the cookies were in the oven, Kurt and Sebastian moved on the the box of decorations that were on the couch, while everyone else was working on garland and ornaments.  Kurt grabbed the stocking hangers and stockings, and hung them on the mantel. He stepped back and looked at it. It was beautiful in front of the fire.

Sebastian grabbed some candle holders and candles, placing them on either end of the mantle.  He grabbed a couple of framed family Christmas photos, and put them on the mantel and on some of the end tables.  

Kurt reached into a new box and removed the paper packaging that was protecting what was underneath.  He froze. He stood there staring at a nativity set. It was beautiful, ornate, and obviously very expensive.  It dawned him that religious beliefs isn’t really something that he and Sebastian had discussed. Would he really be accepted by Sebastian’s family if they knew Kurt didn’t believe in God?  Would it cause arguments? He was deep in thought about all of this when Sebastian noticed that he hadn’t moved.

Sebastian walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around him, “What’s the matter?  You seem lost in space all of the sudden.” He kissed Kurt on the neck.

Kurt closed his eyes, “Nothing.”  He paused, “Um, where do you want to put this?”

Sebastian leaned over to look at what was in the box.  “Oh, maybe on the sofa table over there? It’s the only place so far that doesn’t have any decorations.”

Kurt nodded his head that he heard what Sebastian said, but didn’t say anything in return.

“Kurt,”  Sebastian said as he rubbed Kurt’s arms.

“I’m fine, Bas.”  Kurt said quietly. “Why don’t you go ahead and put this where you want it.  I’m going to put in another batch of cookies.”

Sebastian kissed him on the cheek, “Okay.  But I know something is bothering you. I want you to tell me what it is later.”

“Yes, Sebastian.”

Kurt put another tray of cookies in the oven, and Sebastian set up the nativity scene.  Everyone finished putting the lights and ornaments on the tree. They all gathered around the tree and stood back to look at it.  It was beautiful. Tori called everyone over and they took a couple of pictures in front of the tree and the fireplace.

“Thank you all so much for helping us decorate.  It looks beautiful. It’s so nice to be home for Christmas.”  Tori said.

Everyone agreed and began sitting around the living room.  Sugar went over and checked on the cookies.

“Are they done yet?!”  Jeff asked.

“No, Jeffie.  One more batch to bake, and then we let them cool. THEN we decorate the sugar cookies.  You can have some of the snicker doodles in a few minutes, though.”

“I say we all change into our pajamas and then come back and help Sugar with the cookie decorating.”  Leah said.

“Sounds like a plan!”  Sugar said.

“I’ll get you some clothes, Puck.  You can change in the my bathroom,”  Sebastian said.

Everyone headed upstairs to change, except for Robert and Tori, who headed to the master suite.  Sebastian held Kurt back for a minute, “We’ll let everyone change once we’re up there, then we’ll stay there and talk.  I want to know what is going on in that head of yours.”

“Yes, Sebastian.”

“You don’t have to say that for this, Babe.”  Sebastian put his hand on Kurt’s waist and pulled him closer.

“Yes, I do.”  Kurt answered, without looking up at Sebastian.

Sebastian took a deep breath in, “Okay.  Let’s go.” He grabbed Kurt’s hand and guided him to the bedroom.

Nick and Jeff were already in the guest bedroom changing when Sebastian and Kurt got upstairs.  Puck was sitting on the love seat, leaning back with his eyes clothed. “Sleeping already?” Sebastian asked.  

“Nah, just resting my eyes.”

Sebastian got out a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt and handed them to Puck, who changed in the bathroom quick.  When he came out, Kurt was changing.

“Woah, Princess.  Since when do you not care who sees you change?”    
Kurt didn’t even look up. “Since the trial.  You all saw the photos.  Plus you’ve probably seen me in a swimsuit.  Same difference.”

Puck looked at Sebastian, who just shrugged.

“You okay, Princess?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”  Kurt answered quietly, still not looking up.

Sebastian looked at Puck and nodded to the door.  Puck didn’t say anything. He simply nodded back, and headed out.  Sebastian locked the door behind him.

He walked over to Kurt.  “Talk to me.” He ran his hands up and down Kurt’s arms.

Kurt paused for a minute, trying to gather his thoughts, but couldn’t come up with anything that made sense in his head.  It was all a jumbled mess.

Sebastian tried to prompt him.  “Okay. Did someone say something that upset you?”  Kurt shook his head ‘no’.

“Okay.  Well, you were fine when you were putting up the stockings.  And when….Oh.” He grabbed Kurt’s chin and tilted it up. “Look at me, Kurt.”  Kurt hesitated, but then looked into Sebastian’s eyes. He was already beginning to cry.  “Is this about the nativity set?” Kurt nodded ‘yes’.

“Is this about religion?”  Sebastian asked.

Kurt took a deep breath as the tears rolled down his cheek, “It’s about what you and I believe in… Or don’t believe in.”

“Okay.  Try to tell me what you’re thinking, okay?  Is this about you being an Atheist?”

“Yeah. We’ve never really talked about it,”  Kurt wiped his face, “I don’t believe in God.  And for some reason, I’ve never asked you what you believe.  We’ve never talked about it,” He paused again, “And then when I saw the nativity set…”

Sebastian interrupted him, “Are you worried that religious beliefs, or lack thereof, is going to be an issue between us?”

Kurt nodded, “These things start wars between countries, so why wouldn’t I think that it could possibly cause issues between us?”

“Because I love you.  Okay. Sit down.” Sebastian guided Kurt to the bed and grabbed his hand, “I do believe in God.  My family is non-denominational Christian. However, I don’t have a problem with you being an Atheist.”

Kurt looked at him, “But your religion says that I will go to Hell since I don’t believe.  How can that be okay with you?”

Sebastian sighed. “And some people say that I’ll go to Hell for being gay, whether I believe in God or not.  Look, Babe… I don’t have any of this religion stuff figured out. But I tend to believe that God loves all of His children.  Especially those who are kind, loving, good people, like you. I don’t know if I’m right or wrong. But I do know that I love you, and whether you believe or not, is not going to change my mind.”

Kurt looked down at his lap, “What about your family?  What will they think?”

“My family loves you.  They accept both of us.  Every part of us. My belief in God is not going to change our belief in _us_.”  He put his hands on either side of Kurt’s face and kissed him.

Kurt pulled back, “I don’t want to get in the way of things you believe in.”

“Babe, there a lots of couples who believe differently.  Take Puck and Sugar, or Finn and Rachel. They aren’t the same religion.  We are no different than them. I promise that it isn’t a problem for me. Is it a problem for you...That I believe?”

“Well, no.  Not unless you try to force your beliefs on me.”  Kurt looked down.

“No, Babe.  I won’t do that.  I promise.” Sebastian rubbed his thumb across Kurt’s knuckles and paused for a few seconds.  “Are you ready to go downstairs and frost some cookies?” Sebastian was hoping that they could move past this quickly.  It really wasn’t an issue for him, and he didn’t want Kurt to dwell on it.

Kurt looked up at him and nodded, but he still seemed hesitant.  

“Kurt,”  Sebastian said, “you need to stop worrying about this.  Please. Lets go enjoy spending this beautiful evening with our family.” 

 

Kurt and Sebastian entered the living room holding hands.  Everyone was in their pajamas, sitting around the living room, enjoying each other’s company.  When Sugar saw Kurt, she said, “Ready to frost the cookies, Angel?” She knew he had been crying, but didn’t say anything in front of anyone.  

“Yeah, let’s get started,”  He said as he let go of Sebastian’s hand and headed for the kitchen island.

Sebastian said, “I’ll take these empty storage boxes to the basement,” as he stacked a couple inside one another.  

“I’ll help.”  Robert said.

When Sebastian and Robert went downstairs with the boxes, Robert took the opportunity to talk to Seb, “Is everything okay with Kurt? He looked like something was bothering him all the sudden.”

“Yeah.  When he opened the box and saw the nativity set, it kind of hit him that we are Christian.  He’s an Atheist. He was worried that it would put a divide between us. He’s worried about what you guys will think.”

“Oh, well, he’s a good person.  That’s all that matters to me. I’m sure your mom and sister feel the same way.”

“That’s what I told him.  Hopefully it won’t be something that he dwells on, ya know?”  Sebastian put the last box on the shelf, and then he and his dad went back upstairs.  

 

In the kitchen, Puck walked up behind Kurt and Sugar and quietly whispered, “You okay, Princess?”

Kurt turned around and hugged Puck.  It kind of took him by surprise. Puck whispered in his ear, “You would tell me if something was really wrong, right?”

Kurt nodded.

“Princess.  I know something is really bothering you.  Let’s go.” He pulled back from the hug and took Kurt over to the love seat that was the furthest away from the group.  “Spill it, Kurt.”

Kurt’s eyes snapped up at Puck using his first name again.  And that tone was so close to Sebastian’s Dom tone, that he just couldn’t not say anything.  He sighed. He looked over at the nativity set. Puck followed his line of sight and Kurt said, “I didn’t know Bas was a Christian.  It never came up.”

Puck furrowed his brow, “So.  Most of your friends are Christian.  Rachel and I are the only Jews you are friends with it.  Why is it a surprise? And why would that matter?”

“It’s not a surprise that he’s Christian.  It’s a surprise that I didn’t think to ask.  And it’s a surprise that I’m terrified that me being an Atheist is going to become an issue.  If not for Bas, then for his family.” Kurt rested his head on the back of the couch. He was getting really tired.  It had been a long day.

Sebastian came back into the room and saw Kurt talking to Puck, so he headed to the kitchen island to give them space to talk.  

Tori came back from changing and was walking past the couches, when Puck said, “Mrs. S, can I ask you something?”

Kurt’s eyes widened and he hissed, “Noah.  NO.”

Puck ignored him.

Tori said, “Sure, Puck, but please, call me Tori.”

Sebastian looked over and Kurt looked like he was shaking.  He headed over to him right away. Kurt reached for him and Sebastian lifted him up and slid under him in one quick motion, so Kurt was sitting in his lap.  He wrapped his arms around him and whispered, “It’s okay.”

Puck smiled a lopsided smile, “Okay, Tori.  Kurt is an Atheist. Is that going to be a problem?”

Kurt wanted to crawl under the couch.  Or into the fire. Or run from the house screaming.  He knew he was as red as some of the tree ornaments.

“A problem?”  Tori asked.

“Mom, Kurt is worried that because we’re Christian, and he’s an Atheist, it will cause an issue.  He doesn’t want religion to be a problem in our relationship, or his relationship with you guys.” Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s back.

“Oh, Kurt, Honey.  No. As long as you’re a good person, which you obviously are, you are always welcome in this family.  We don’t care if you aren’t Christian. We care if you treat Sebastian well. If you love him, and are respectful of him.”

“Okay.”  Kurt said quietly.  Tori walked over and kissed him on the forehead.  Sebastian squeezed him a little tighter. Once Tori walked away, Kurt turned and glared at Puck.

“What!?  You could have let it bother you all night, or all week, or all year….Or you could cut to the chase and ask directly.  One uncomfortable moment means you can now be at ease the rest of your relationship.”

Sebastian chuckled, and Kurt turned his glare on Sebastian.  “Don’t you dare agree with him.”

Sebastian shrugged, “Well, it worked.”

Puck winked at them and then returned to the kitchen island.  He called out, “Let’s go, Princess!”

Kurt moaned and buried his head into Sebastian’s shoulder.  “I’m sorry, Bas.”

“No, Babe.  No need to be sorry.  Let’s decorate the cookies, then we can relax and watch a movie.  Sound good?” He patted Kurt on the hip, silently asking him to get up.

“Yeah.”  Kurt stood and went over to the kitchen island, followed by Sebastian.

 

Once the cookies were decorated, everyone was happily taste testing them.  

“Now you have to sell stuff at Dalton, Sweets.  I’ve become addicted to everything you bake.” Jeff smiled.

“Me too.  I can’t wait,”  Nick added, “And I think we need to get first dibs.”

“Thanks, guys.  I hope it all works out.”

“It will, Sugar.”  Puck hugged her from behind.  

“Who’s up for watching ELF in the media room?  We’ll have space to spread out this time.” Sebastian asked.  

Everyone agreed, so after packing up the cookies into containers, and saying goodnight to Robert and Tori, everyone made themselves comfortable on the couches in the media room.  

Sebastian noticed that Kurt was extra fidgety.  He didn’t seem to be able to get comfortable.

“Do you need to lay down, Babe?” Sebastian whispered.  Kurt shook his head ‘no’. Sebastian could tell there was something wrong.  He was really hoping Kurt wasn’t dwelling on the whole religion issue. He didn’t feel like there was much he could do to fix that issue, other than offer reassuring words.

They were about a half an hour into the movie when Sebastian felt Kurt tremble.  He reached for a throw blanket and covered him up. “Is that better?,” He asked.  

Kurt let a single tear fall, but Sebastian couldn’t see it in the dark room.  He continued to tremble. His doubts and his worries were getting the better of him and he needed it fixed.  He kept the blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders as he slid down onto his knees in front of Sebastian.  

It felt just like the birthday party to Sebastian.  But to Kurt, there was a greater need.

Sebastian leaned forward, “Baby, you’re going to have to wait.”  He ran his hand threw Kurt’s hair and kissed his cheek.

Kurt leaned in to the touch and closed his eyes.  “Please, Sebastian.” Kurt whispered with a strained to his voice. He was trying not to cry.  “I...I...Please, Sir.” He put his hands behind his back and lowered his head.

Sebastian’s breath hitched and he breathed out, “Fuck, Baby.”  The hand that was gently running through Kurt’s hair was suddenly gripping it tightly.  Hearing Kurt call him ‘Sir’ was not what he expected. He didn’t expected to hear it _ever._  He expected not to like it if he ever did, but now his near instant erection was telling him differently.  “Kneel for me in my bedroom. I want you naked. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Yes, Sir,”  Kurt whispered, and he quickly and quietly got up to go to Sebastian’s bedroom.  He instantly felt calmer, but was still shaking. Once he was in the bedroom, he stripped down, and knelt at the foot of the bed.  He lowered his head and put his hands behind his back. He couldn’t wait for Sebastian to get there.

Sebastian waited a few minutes and then quietly went up to his room.  When he opened the door, he saw Kurt waiting for him on his knees, and all he could think of was how much he loved his boyfriend, and how he wanted whatever was bothering Kurt to simply go away.  He locked the door and walked over to Kurt, ran his fingers through his hair and then cupped his jaw, making him tilt his head up.

“Good.”  He crouched down, not letting go of Kurt’s jaw, “Now tell me, Gorgeous, what do you need?”

“I need to be reminded that I’m yours, Sir,” Kurt answered.

Sebastian knelt as closely to Kurt as he could.  He had his right leg in between Kurt’s, and he grabbed Kurt’s face with his hands.  “Thank you for telling me. You _are_ mine, Kurt,”  He stroked Kurt’s cheeks with his thumbs. Sebastian leaned in and whispered in his ear, “This is mine,”  he placed a hand over Kurt’s heart. “This is mine,” he stroked Kurt’s erection. Kurt moaned and closed his eyes. “This is mine,”  he reached around and grabbed Kurt’s ass, ghosting over his hole and pulling him as close as possible. He leaned in and kissed him passionately.  “Every inch of you is mine. No one else’s.” He bucked his hips toward Kurt, and the friction made them both moan. “And, Kurt, I am yours. Every inch of me.”  He put his hand back on Kurt’s face and ran his thumb across Kurt’s bottom lip, watching the pull of the delicate skin. “Now,” he looked Kurt in the eye, “I want your amazing mouth.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Sebastian stood, lowered his pajama pants a bit, and then brushed his erection against Kurt’s lips.  “Open.”

Kurt opened his mouth and sucked the head of Sebastian’s cock.  Sebastian moaned and grabbed Kurt’s hair. He thrust in and out of Kurt’s mouth.  Kurt’s lack of gag reflex was an amazing gift.

After a couple of minutes, he pulled out, “Who’s are you, Kurt?”

“Yours, Sir,”  Kurt said, looking Sebastian in the eye.

“Good.  Open.”

Kurt began sucking for a few minutes again.  He moaned as Sebastian fisted his hair.

Sebastian pulled out again, tilting Kurt’s head back to make him look into his eyes, “Who’s am _I_ , Kurt?”

“Mine, Sir.”  Kurt had tears in his eyes.

“Good.  Open for me, Baby.”

Kurt continued to suck, using his tongue and lips, but no hands.  They were still behind his back.

“What do you want, Kurt?”  Sebastian pulled out again.

“I want you to cum, Sir.”

“Good.”  Sebastian continued to fuck Kurt’s mouth for a couple of minutes, and then quickly came down his throat.  He moaned and his eyes rolled back. Kurt watched, proud that he did that to his boyfriend.

“Thank you, Baby.”  Sebastian bent down and kissed Kurt.  “Stand.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt stood.

“Lay down on the bed.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt walked over and laid on the bed.  

Sebastian opened the nightstand drawer and pumped a small amount of lube in his hand.  He crawled over to Kurt and grabbed his erection and began stroking. He leaned over and kissed Kurt.  When he pulled back, he said, “Don’t cum until I tell you to.”

“Yes, Sir,”  Kurt panted.

Sebastian stroked fast, twisting his hand as he went.  He kissed Kurt’s neck, making his way back up to his mouth. They kissed with so much passion, Kurt thought that he might explode with the amount of love he felt for Sebastian.

“Who is the only one who can kiss you?’

“You, Sir,” Kurt moaned.

“Who is the only one lucky enough to be allowed to touch this beautiful cock?”  Sebastian asked as he stroked Kurt.

“You, Sir.”  Kurt was writhing under Sebastian’s touch.

“Who is the only one allowed to fuck you, Kurt?”

“You, Sir!”  Kurt was so close.

“Who is the only one who can fuck _me_ , Kurt?”  Sebastian continued to kiss Kurt on the neck.

“Me, Sir!.... Please…. May I cum?!”

“Yes, Baby.  Cum for me now.”

Kurt came so hard that he saw white, the world disappearing for a minute.  

“Good.”  Sebastian continued to kiss him until he came back to Earth.  He got up and got a warm washcloth to clean Kurt up. He threw the cloth in the hamper and laid next to Kurt. He ran a hand down Kurt’s face, “I love you, Baby.”

Kurt looked Sebastian in the eye, “I love you too, Bas.  Thank you.”

“I was my pleasure.  Do you feel better?”

Kurt smiled a small smile, “Yes, Sir.”

Sebastian smiled, “I didn’t think that would be my ‘thing’, but I do now.  That was hot,” He leaned over and kissed Kurt softly on the lips. “Wash up and get dressed.  Stay here. The movie is probably close to being over and the guys will be up soon after you’re in bed.”

Kurt winked at him as he got up, “Yes, Sir.”

Sebastian moaned and smacked Kurt on the ass as he walked past him.  

 

Sebastian headed downstairs to the media room and quietly took a seat on the couch that he and Kurt had occupied earlier.  Puck was eyeing him the entire time. He wondered where Kurt was. He had been upset earlier, and Puck had seen Kurt kneel earlier and it gave him an unsettling feeling. It was the third time he noticed something like this, he wasn’t sure what he should do. Was Kurt being forced to do this? Was it his business? He figured if Princess was getting hurt or if something was wrong, he was going to  make it his business. He liked Sebastian a lot, and considered him a friend, but he was on Kurt’s side, no matter what.

Once the movie was over, everyone headed upstairs toward the bedrooms.  The door to Sebastian’s bedroom was open, and both Leah and Sugar ran into the room, jumping into the bed where Kurt laid.  

“Angel!”  Both girls snuggled up to him.  The boys followed in behind them, chuckling at the girl’s behavior.  Puck was watching closely to see if he thought Kurt was acting funny.

“I love you, girls.”  Kurt said as he wrapped his arms around them, kissing them both on the forehead.  

“We love you, too, Angel.”  

“Yep.”  Leah said as she squeezed him tight.  

“Alright you two.  Let go of my man.” Sebastian came over and sat on the edge of the bed.  

“You’re no fun,” Leah said.  Both she and Sugar climbed out of bed after kissing Kurt on the cheek.  They said their ‘goodnights’ to all of the boys before headed to Leah’s room.  Sugar made sure to kiss Puck extra long before leaving.

The boys all settled into their spots they chose to sleep in.  They were chatting about different things, but Puck remained quiet, not participating in conversations.

Finally Kurt asked, “Noah, are you okay?  You’re awfully quiet.”

“Hmm?”  Puck seemed to have been deep in thought.  

“I asked if you are okay?  What’s on your mind?”

Puck looked at Kurt and then to Sebastian.  “Nothing, Princess.”

Kurt sat up, “Noah Puckerman, do not lie to me. You’re one of my best friends.  I know when something is wrong.”

“Yeah, I know the feeling.  That’s what’s bothering me, okay?  I know something is up with you. I want you to be okay.”

“Are you talking about the religion stuff?  I’m moving past that. Trying to, anyway.”

Puck sighed, “No.  Not the religion stuff.”  He looked around the room.  Of course, everyone was in on this conversation, even if they weren’t saying anything.  

Kurt saw Noah looking around the room, and then looked around himself.  “Noah, tell me what’s on your mind. If you want privacy for your sake, we can go somewhere else in the house.  But if it’s for my sake, I have nothing to hide from any of you.” Kurt spoke softly, trying to encourage Puck to get whatever was on his mind out in the open.  

 


	28. The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt and Sebastian explain their relationship choices. A trip to the mall brings more than one unexpected person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter felt a bit short to me, but I didn't want to push it too far. More coming soon.  
> Comments and Kudos make me happy!!!!

“You’ve been acting weird, Princess.” Kurt glanced at Sebastian and sat up in bed a little.  He looked back to Noah and he only blushed a little, surprisingly. Puck continued, “I’m not clueless about what I’ve been seeing, but it surprises me, coming from you.  I want to know that you are choosing to do this, and not being forced.”

Kurt and Sebastian’s eyes both widened.  “Oh, god, Noah. No. I mean, yes, it is my choice.  Sebastian would never force me.” Sebastian ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath.  He couldn’t believe Puck would think that he would force Kurt to do anything. Kurt put his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, trying to calm him.  

“Puck,“  Sebastian said.

“No, I get it,”  Puck interrupted, putting his hand up to stop Sebastian,  “I wouldn’t normally think you would do anything to hurt him.  I know you love him. But the Princess I know would have been the last person on Earth that I would have thought would be into that.”  He looked at Kurt and continued, “I want to know that this is your choice and that you aren’t being pressured into anything, Princess. Because as much as I like the dude, I’ll kick his ass if he’s pressuring you.”

That made both Kurt and Sebastian grin.  Kurt said, “No. I’m not being pressured.”

“It was his idea, actually.”  Sebastian added.

“What?”  Puck asked.  

“Okay, I am totally lost!”  Jeff announced.

“Me too, Jeffie.  No. Clue.” Nick leaned into his boyfriend.

Sebastian and Kurt looked at each other, wondering what, if anything, to share.  Seb leaned into Kurt and whispered in his ear, “The ball is in your court, Babe. I don’t mind what we tell them.  Puck is more observant than most, but that doesn’t mean others won’t notice. He’s always keeping an eye on you, so he’s going to see things.  Nick is my roommate, so he may notice some things too. It has spilled into other areas of our lives, not just the bedroom. It’s up to you.”

“What are we even talking about?,”  Jeff asked.

“Just listen, Jeffie.”  Nick whispered.

“Princess, you like to control everything.  You’re a take charge kind of guy. Not one to be told what to do.”  Puck said, looking at both of them.

“And that’s why I need this, Noah.  I get overwhelmed with everything sometimes… I need someone else to take over at least _something_ in my life. It was getting to the point where I couldn’t think straight.  When I’m stressed, or overwhelmed, Bas knows what to do. It started out as a sexual thing, but now it’s becoming more.  And Bas kind of naturally take on this roll anyway, so it’s not really that crazy of an idea.”

“Can someone please clue us in?,”  Jeff asked.

“Okay.  I’m just going to spell it out for you all,”  Kurt grabbed Seb’s hand, and Seb rubbed his thumb over Kurt’s knuckles.  “Bas and I have a D/s relationship. Bas is my Dom, as in Dominant. I am his sub, as in submissive.  He takes the lead. He uses a certain tone in his voice and gives commands, or orders, and I follow them.  If I don’t want to do something, I can always use our safe word, but that hasn’t happened yet, and may never happen.  It’s about communication, and trust, and has a lot to do with love.”

Sebastian continued, “This is growing along with our relationship.  We started out very small, and have gradually added things. It’s come into other parts of our lives, not just the bedroom.  It calms him. It’s comforting for him.”

Everyone was sitting there trying to let everything Kurt and Sebastian were talking about sink in.  Jeff looked a little confused. Puck and Nick looked like they had questions.

“Can you give us an example?”  Nick asked. He was curious. He had heard of this, but he was pretty sure he was thinking of the slave/master stuff that there was _no way_ Kurt would do.

“Well, a non-sexual example would be how Bas can get me to eat when I’m stressed.”

“Like the power bar at the game, and the yogurt at lunch.  You said, ‘Yes, Sebastian’ on the phone, and then ate.” Puck replied.

“Exactly.”  Seb said.

“So he has to address you a certain way?,”  Nick asked Seb.

“When I’m being his Dom, yes.  He never calls me Sebastian unless it’s a Dom/sub thing.  He answers ‘Yes, Sebastian’ when he understands and agrees to whatever I have asked.  But not if we aren’t in that zone. He knows when I say something as his Dom by the tone of my voice.  It could be at any time if I need it to be. But I don’t just use it for everyday things. For example, if I say, ‘Hey Babe, do you want to see a movie?’, I don’t use my Dom voice, and he doesn’t respond ‘Yes, Sebastian’.”  Sebastian was hoping they were all coming to understand.

“We have had several long talks, done lots of research, and come to an agreement for both of our roles in this kind of a relationship using lists that state what we agree to. You have to have a strong bond and a lot of trust for something like this to work.  Like we said, things are evolving. For example, tonight I was saying ‘Yes, Sir’ instead of ‘Yes, Sebastian’. He didn’t tell me to. It just felt natural, and now we’ve both agreed that it’s fine if I choose to do that. It wasn’t something we wanted before, but it has evolved to that.  As things evolve, we continue to discuss our wants and needs, and make changes as we see fit.”

Jeff looked surprised, “Wait. Tonight?”

Nick turned to Puck, “You saw something, didn’t you, Puck?”  

“Yeah.”  Puck said, “I’ve seen it a few times.”

“What?!  Have I totally been missing something?” Jeff asked.

Sebastian cleared his throat and looked at Kurt.  Kurt nodded, indicating it was okay. “I’m assuming what Puck has seen is Kurt kneeling for me.”  Jeff furrowed his brows. He wasn’t sure he liked the sound of this.

Kurt noticed Jeff’s reaction and tried to explain, “Kneeling isn’t a bad thing.  For us, it’s a good thing. I will kneel in front of him when I need something...more.  I will also kneel for him if I am offering more for him. Or I kneel for him if he asks me to.  For example, I knelt for him the night we had to go rescue Leah. He was stressed and upset, and kneeling for him is my way of telling him silently that whatever he needs, I’m there for him. Nothing came of it, other than him knowing I was there for him. Tonight I was stressed about the whole religion thing, afraid that it was going to divide us and drive us apart. I was really upset, and my mind was racing.  I needed to know that he still wanted me just the way I am. So during the movie, I knelt for him. It lets him know that I need something. Tonight, it was reassurance. Sometimes it’s sexual. Sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it starts out as not being sexual, but turns into that.”

“As a sub, he does what I’ve asked, but he also gets praise and comfort, which is another big need for anyone who chooses to be a sub.  As his Dom, it’s my job to protect him, keep his safe, take care of him. Praise him when he does a good job, clean him up when he needs it… The list goes on...It’s kind of my personality anyway.  I like to lead, and I take care of what is important to me. And nothing is more important to me than him.” Sebastian looked at Kurt and Kurt leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He rested his head on his shoulder.

“What about punishments?”  Puck asked with a very serious tone and expression.  So far, he was okay with what the boys were saying. But he might draw the line when it came to punishments.  Kurt had been punished enough by people who didn’t even know him, and for things he didn’t deserve. There was no way he was going to let someone who says he loves him, hurt him.

“We’ve agreed that we are not ready for that yet. _If_ there comes a day when either of us think that it’s something our relationship needs, then we will revisit it.  Just remember that everything involved in a healthy D/s relationship is agreed upon by both partners. And a D/s relationship is different for every couple who chooses to do it.  So if you research it, keep that in mind,” Sebastian answered.

“So, everyone understands?  At least a little?” Kurt asked.

“Yeah, I think so.  I’m going to do a little research on it too.”  Jeff answered.

“And remember, this is not something you should share with anyone else.”  Sebastian said.

“We understand.  It sounds like it works for you both, and that’s what’s important.”  Nick answered.

Sebastian had been rubbing Kurt’s back.  He stopped, looked at Puck, and asked, “So, we’re all good?”

“Yeah, man.  As long as Princess is happy, we’re good.”  Puck looked at Kurt.

“I couldn’t be happier, Noah.  Thank you for being concerned though.  I appreciate that even when it comes to Bas, you aren’t afraid to make sure I’m okay.  I love you.” Kurt smiled softly.

Puck smiled a lopsided smile, “Love you too, Princess.”

Sebastian smiled at both of them.  As much as it took him by surprise that Puck had a sliver of doubt about how he treats Kurt, he was happy that Puck would be bold enough to voice his concerns.  That was the ultimate show of friendship.

 ……………….

 

The next morning, everyone was enjoying breakfast, which included Christmas cookies this time.  The house felt so warm with the tree up, the stockings hung, and friends and family enjoying each other’s company.  Everyone seemed so happy and content.

“Jeff, Nick, are you sure you don’t want to go shopping with us today?”  Leah asked.

“I’m sure.  I love shopping, but not this close to Christmas.  Now the post-holiday sales, count me in.” Jeff smiled.  

“I don’t love shopping, ever.”  Nick said, “It’s one thing that Jeffie loves, that I don’t.  I tolerate the mall, but only if I have to.” Jeff rolled his eyes and Kurt chuckled.  

“Well, you guys have fun.  I shopped online this year.”  Robert said.

“You’re only adding to the collapse of the retail store, Robert.  If everyone shopped online, then all of the those stores close, and all the employees are out of work.”  Tori said. She turned to the kids and winked, “Luckily, I made up for it.” Everyone chuckled.

 

Once they said their goodbyes and got in the car to head to the mall, Kurt was forming a game plan in his head.  “Okay who needs to shop for who?”

“I’m finished.  I’m just along for the ride.”  Puck said.

“Me too.”  Sebastian agreed.

“I need something for my mom still,”  Sugar said.

“I need to get something for Carol too.”  Kurt added.

“I don’t have an opportunity to shop - ever - so I need Mom, Dad, and Seb.  I think Mom and Dad took care of Grandma and Grandpa’s gift this year. It’ll be weird not going to see them,”  Leah said as she looked out the window.

Kurt looked at Sebastian, “I never thought about that.  Why aren’t you guys going over there for Christmas?”

“Probably because we had been away so long.  Dad can’t get away right now, and we want to spend the holidays with him, since we missed three in a row.  Mom said our grandparents may be coming over here for the summer, though. It’ll be nice to see them again.”  Sebastian turned and looked at Kurt quickly and smiled. Kurt smiled back and squeezed his hand.

Puck frowned, “Hey, why doesn’t Tori have an accent?”

Leah answered, “She was raised here.  She grew up in the house we live in now.  Our grandparents are both French, accents and all, but lived here most of their adult lives.  They would take Mom and her sister back to France for the summer and holidays, much like our parents have done with us.  They have an estate in Paris, and here, where we live now, so they just come and go as they please.”

Sebastian added, “Our aunt spent most of her adult life in Paris.  That’s why our grandparents went back when she got sick. They decided to stay.  For now anyway.” Seb looked at Kurt, “I’ll take you there someday. You’ll love it.”

Kurt smiled, “I’m sure I will.”

 

At the mall, everyone stuck together for the most part.  They hit up a few specialty stores for the moms gifts, but only Sugar found something her mom would like.  They headed to Macy’s, and Kurt found a nice sweater and scarf for Carol. Leah found things for both Tori and Robert.  

“Okay, Seb.  Time for you to hit the road.  Your the last person on my list, and you can’t be here when I find the perfect gift.”  Leah smiled.

“Alright.  How about Kurt and I head down the mall and we’ll meet you guys for lunch in an hour.  Sound good?”

Everyone agreed, so Leah, Sugar, and Puck headed one way and Sebastian and Kurt headed the other.

“Where to now?”  Kurt asked.

“Hmm.  Let’s just walk and see what looks interesting.”  Sebastian held out his hand and Kurt instantly took it.

“Sounds good.”

 

They were making their way down the mall when they heard someone say, “Kurt?”

They both stopped and turned around.  It took a second for Kurt to recognize him since he was out of uniform, “Chris?”  Chris was about Sebastian’s height, fairly muscular build, dark hair and dark eyes.  He was handsome, and when he smiled, his whole face lit up.

“Yeah, hi.  I almost didn’t recognize you out of uniform.”  Chris said.

“Yeah, same here.”  Kurt gave a small smile.  He continued, “Chris, this is my boyfriend, Sebastian.  Sebastian, this is Chris. He cheers for Urbana. We met yesterday at the competition.”

Sebastian smirked and let go of Kurt’s hand and extended his hand for Chris to shake, “Right, the guy who thought maybe that song was for him.  It’s nice to meet you, Chris.”

Chris shook his hand and chuckled, “Yeah, well, whether he meant it for me or not, it applied.  Can’t blame a guy for trying, though.”

Sebastian put his arm around Kurt’s waist and nodded to Chris, but did not respond otherwise.  Sometimes Seb wanted to ask Kurt to marry him now, so that Kurt would be wearing a ring and all the other guys would leave him alone.

Kurt tried to break the tension, “So, you waited until the last minute to finish your holiday shopping too?”

“Yeah, I suppose I did.”  Chris answered.

Suddenly, Sebastian felt Kurt tense up.  He immediately tightened his grip, voice dripping with concern, “What’s wrong, Babe?”

Chris frowned.  Kurt was looking past him, and his whole demeanor changed.  All the color drained from Kurt’s face, and Chris had no idea what was going on.  

“K-Karofsky,”  Kurt whispered.

Sebastian looked up and saw Dave Karofsky making his way down the mall toward them.  Dave was window shopping, and hadn’t noticed them at all.

“It’s okay, Babe.  Let’s go in the store.  Excuse us, Chris.” Sebastian put his hand on the small of Kurt’s back and guided him into the store they had been standing next to.

Chris followed them inside.  “Are you okay, Kurt?”

Kurt nodded his head ‘yes’, but didn’t say anything.  

“He’ll be okay.  There’s just someone out there that we’d like to avoid.”  Sebastian was rubbing Kurt’s back.

At that moment Dave walked into the store.  He still hadn’t noticed the boys.

“Shit,”  Sebastian said under his breath.

Kurt saw him and his breathing started to quicken, and he started to have a panic attack.  Chris watched as Sebastian turned Kurt so that he wouldn’t be looking at Dave. He put his hands on either side of Kurt’s face and firmly, yet gently, spoke, “Kurt, listen to me. I need you to breath.” He put Kurt’s hand on his own chest, “Match me, Baby. In and out. Nice and steady.” Hearing and feeling Sebastian was already calming him.

Chris looked toward the front of the store.  There were several people there, so he wasn’t 100% sure who was freaking Kurt out.  He took an educated guess that it was the big guy. “So, is it the tall bear cub?”

Sebastian nodded, but didn’t take his eyes off of Kurt.  

Chris asked, “Is he gay?  Aah, hell, never mind. It doesn’t matter. I’ll distract him, you guys sneak by and leave.”

Before Sebastian could even respond, Chris was making his way toward Dave.  Chris went up and started looking at the same rack of clothes where Dave was looking.  

Chris eyed Dave, “Well, hi there, handsome.”

Dave raised an eyebrow and looked around to see if anyone was watching the exchange.  He didn’t see anyone looking, so he shyly said, “Hey.”

While Chris continued to flirt with Dave, Sebastian wrapped his arm around Kurt’s waist, putting himself in between Kurt, and Dave and Chris.  Chris stepped to the side a bit, so that Dave would be facing the other way.

Once Sebastian and Kurt were out of the store, they quickly made their way to the food court where they were supposed to meet Leah, Puck, and Sugar.  They were very early, but they didn’t mind sitting and waiting. They sat next to each other, facing out toward the mall so they could see who was approaching.   

“Are you okay, Babe.  Feeling better?” Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s back.  

“Yeah.  I’m okay now.  He may not have meant me any harm, but he terrifies me now.  I don’t trust the way I used to, I guess.” Kurt looked down at his lap.

“Kurt, that is totally valid.  There’s a reason we have restraining orders against him.  I wouldn’t want you anywhere near him alone. He’s given you plenty of reasons to be scared around him.  But listen to me,” Kurt looked up at Sebastian, “You don’t need to be afraid when I’m around. I won’t let anything happen.”

“I know, Bas.   But what do I do if I have a panic attack and you aren’t around?  What would happen if I was at the mall by myself and I ran into him?”  Kurt felt like he would never be able to be alone anywhere in Ohio. It gave him all the more reason to look forward to New York.  

“I know that’s hard.  Maybe we should come up with a game plan if you feel like you need it.  That way you’re a little more prepared. Just in case.”

Kurt nodded.  

 

Ten minutes later, Chris approached them again.  “Hi. I’m glad I found you. Everything okay?”

“Yeah,”  Kurt answered shyly.  

“Hey, thanks for helping us out back there.  That was nice of you.” Sebastian was totally sincere.

“No problem.  So turns out Dave the bear cub is gay.  I got his number.” Chris smiled as he sat across from them.

“Don’t use it.”  Kurt and Sebastian both said in unison.

Chris raised his eyebrows, “Wow.  Well, I wasn’t planning on it. I figured there was a good reason not to, since just his presence seemed to freak you out.”

“We both have restraining orders against him.  He’s not stable. Please don’t call him.” Kurt looked concerned.  

“I promise I won’t,”  Chris said, “Ohio may not be the best place to pick up guys when you aren’t old enough for bars and clubs, but I’m not desperate enough to mess with someone who’s proven himself to be unstable.”

Kurt glanced at Sebastian and tensed a little, but then seemed to relax a little bit, knowing that Chris wouldn’t call Dave.  He didn’t know Chris, but Dave wasn’t proving himself to be the stable boyfriend type. He wouldn’t want anyone to get mixed up in that.   

After seeing Kurt relax, Chris asked, “So how long have you two been together?  How did you meet? Please, tell me the location so I can go see if they have any extra good looking guys hanging around that I can snag,”  He grinned.

Kurt and Sebastian smiled back. Sebastian answered, “Well, we’ve been together for a few months now.  Since the beginning of the school year. We met at Lima Bean. It’s a coffee shop.”

Kurt gave a dry laugh, “It’s actually because of Dave that we met,”  Kurt squeezed Seb’s hand and looked at Sebastian with nothing but adoration, “Bas has a habit of saving me.”

Chris smiled at the love he was seeing, but then became serious, “There must be quiet the history there with Dave.  I’m sorry that it’s still bothering you.”

“Oh, there’s a ton of history there,”  Kurt sighed. “And Bas and I have been through a lot together in the few months we’ve been together.  More than most couples probably ever have to face. But we’re trying to move on now.”

Chris changed the subject, “So, Kurt, I know you go to McKinley in Lima.  Sebastian, do you also go to school there?”

Sebastian smirked, “No, I go to Dalton Academy.”

Chris’ eyes widened, “Ooohh, every gay guy’s paradise.”  He chuckled.

Kurt and Sebastian both smiled, and Seb added, “I guess if you’re single.  I was only there a week before Kurt stole my heart.” He looked at Kurt and smiled.  Kurt looked back lovingly and then kissed him on the cheek.

“That’s sweet.  You two are very lucky.”

“We know,”  Kurt said, “We really do.”

“So are there any cute, available, gay guys at Dalton you can fix me up with, Sebastian?” Chris asked, wiggling his eyebrows.  

“Honestly, I don’t know who’s gay and who’s not.  Well, except for my roommate and his boyfriend,” Sebastian shrugged, “Sorry.”

“Well, it was worth a shot.  There are only two of us out at my school, and we aren’t exactly a match made in Heaven, if you know what I mean.”

“I understand.  I’m the only guy out at my school.  We have a couple of girls out, but no other guys.  It’s not easy.” Kurt gave a knowing smile.

Puck, Sugar, and Leah came walking up behind Chris, and Chris saw the smile on Kurt’s face.  He liked that reaction to people a lot better than one he saw earlier.

“Hey, Princess, make a new friend?”  Puck said as he sat in a chair next to Chris.  Sugar sat next to Puck, and Leah sat next to Sebastian.  

“Hi, I’m Chris,”  He stuck out his hand for Puck to shake.  

Puck shook it, “Puck.  This is my girlfriend, Sugar, and our friend, Leah. She’s also Seb’s sister.”  Puck motioned to the girls. They waved sweetly, but didn’t say anything. Puck furrowed his brows, “You look familiar.”

Kurt quickly added, “Chris was at the cheer competition yesterday.  He cheers for Urbana.”

“Oh, yeah.  You’re the dude who said something about the song to Princess.”  Puck looked at him, unsure of his motives. He remembered exactly who he was.  
“It’s all good, Puck,”  Sebastian said and winked at him.  Puck just grunted.

“Princess?”  Chris looked at Kurt.

Kurt smirked and shrugged his shoulders, “He’s the only one who can get away with it.”

Chris looked at Sebastian, “So is it ‘Sebastian’, ‘Seb’, or ‘Bas’?”

Sebastian smirked, “You can call me ‘Sebastian’, or ‘Seb’, but only Kurt calls me ‘Bas’.”  Kurt squeezed his hand.

“Got it.”  

Chris looked at Puck, and then around the table at everyone.  They seemed to be sizing him up and down, wondering what he was up to. He got the sense that these people were very protective of Kurt.  

“You’re right,”  Sebastian said to Chris.

Chris frowned, “Excuse me?”

Kurt chuckled, “It’s creepy sometimes, but Bas can read people pretty well.  He’s saying that whatever you’re thinking- you’re right.” Kurt and all of his friends were grinning.

Chris raised his eyebrows, “Oh?  And what am I thinking?”

Sebastian continued to smirk, “You’re thinking that we’re very protective of Kurt, and very weary of new people. You’re right.”

Puck added, “Look.  We’re a family. We’re all protective of each other. But Kurt has been through more shit than any person should have to go through.  So yeah, we’re extra protective of him.”

Kurt smiled softly at Chris, “Sorry, Chris.  My step-brother, Finn, said it best. We’re kind of like the MOB,” he chuckled, “and this,” he motioned to the group, “is only _part_ of our family.”  The boys grinned and the girls giggled.  

Chris nodded and smiled a little, “So, do I pass the friendship inspection?  I really would like to be friends.”

Sebastian said, “Well, you did help us out with Karofsky.”

“What!? What the hell?”  Puck was turning red.

“What happened, Angel?”  Sugar asked.

Kurt wasn’t saying anything, so Sebastian said, “Karofsky was, or is, here.  He never saw us. Chris distracted him, and we were able to sneak past.” He looked at Kurt and squeezed his hand.

“You okay, Princess?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  I started to have a panic attack, but Bas helped calm me.”

“Got it.  I’m glad you’re okay.  We stick together until we leave though.”  Puck said.

“Agreed.”  Sebastian said.

“Is the bear cub dangerous or something?,”  Chris asked.

Puck leaned back in his seat, “With the shit he’s done, anything is possible.  He’s either hot or cold, and you never know what you’re going to get.”

Kurt sighed, “Let’s put it this way - I had to transfer to Dalton Academy for a year because of him.  And like I said before, we both now have restraining orders against him. So, yeah.”

“The history.  I get it.” He paused for a beat, “So, back to my question… Do I pass the friend test?”  Chris was hoping they said yes. He had never seen a group of friends like this, and this group of friends intrigued him.  He had some friends of his own, but nobody really close. He was actually jealous of this group. He figured he wouldn’t ever truly be a big part of it, but even if he could be a small part, he’d be happy.

Sebastian looked at Kurt, who winked at him.  He looked back to Chris and smiled, “Yeah, you pass,”  he became serious, “but seeing as though this all started with you flirting with Kurt, you have to understand that he is off limits.”

“I understand.  I am a flirt. But I’ll try to tone it down.”  Chris smiled, “So _now_ can I get some phone numbers?”

Sebastian smirked, “How about we start with my number and Puck’s number, and we’ll see how it goes.”

Chris nodded and grinned, “You guys really are like the MOB,”  He looked at Leah, “Is he this protective of you too?”

Leah smiled, “Yep.  Has been my whole life.”

Kurt added, “And now we all are.”

Chris raised an eyebrow and looked at Kurt as he gestured to the group, “You do realize that this is not normal, right?”

Kurt just chuckled, “Do I look like I do ‘normal’?”  Everyone smiled.

“I guess not.”

  
  
  
  



	29. New Year Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sugar's Birthday and New Years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took awhile. Hope you enjoy Part One. Comments and Kudos are welcomed and appreciated!

Sugar decided that for her birthday, she wanted to go to Winterfest at Kings Island.  So, the day after Christmas, they bundled up and headed south on 71. Puck drove Sugar, Finn, Rachel, Sam, and Leah in Kurt’s Navigator.  Sebastian, Kurt, Nick, and Jeff, drove the Smythe’s Range Rover.

As soon as they pulled into the parking lot, Kurt’s eyes lit up, “Look at the Eiffel Tower!  It’s a Christmas tree! Look at it’s lights change!” Sebastian smiled ear to ear. He loved when Kurt got excited about new things.  

“Looks like it’s going to be fun!”  Jeff said.

The two cars full of teens stumbled out of the cars and entered the park with big smiles.  It had been awhile since any of them had been to an amusement park. Although not all of the rides were open during Winterfest, a few were, and the atmosphere was magical.  There were areas of fake snow, winter characters wondering around, millions of lights… It was a great way to enjoy the holidays and spend time with friends.

The first thing they did before the crowds got too crazy was go ice skating on the large fountain that graced the main area of the park.  Finn looked like a large Bambi on ice, and everyone got a good laugh out of it. Kurt was a little worried for Rachel’s safety. She was so little next to Finn that if he fell on her, surely she would be crushed.  To everyone surprize but Nick’s, Jeff was skating like a professional. Not just a good skater, but the grace and ease of a professional. There was no room for tricks and showing off, but if he had room, Kurt and Sebastian were pretty sure he could do some amazing things.

After ice skating, they headed to the little makeshift shops tucked under the Eiffel Tower, and then walked through the candyland area.  There were tons of photo opportunities that they all took full advantage of. Their favorite was the giant blow up snow globe that they could get inside of and have their photos taken.  Their were winter characters like sugarplum fairies and Jack Frost walking around, and the Kurt took a great picture of Sam and Finn posing with two sugarplum fairies who dusted them pixie dust.  

They headed for some rides next, going on Mystic Timbers roller coaster first.  It was super fast and Kurt and Sebastian loved every minute of it. Sugar screamed so much that she had a sore throat.  Puck thought maybe he would lose some hearing in the ear that was next to her.

Their next stop was the carnival section.  They rode the Scrambler, Monster, and the Dodgem Cars.  Kurt was ruthless in the cars, and no one got out of there without getting crashed into by him.  

“I want to play the ring toss!”  Jeff exclaimed.

“Jeff, look at the prize.  It’s a gorilla the height of Sugar and the diameter of four Finns.  Where would you even put something like that?” Nick asked.

“Yeah, okay.  Maybe we could go play that basketball game?”

“That looks more reasonable,”  Nick said. He turned to Kurt and Sebastian, “We’ll be back in a few minutes.”

The rest of the gang rode the Scrambler a second time.  

“This might be my favorite ride.”  Kurt whispered to Sebastian.

“Really?  It’s not the roller coaster?”

“Nope.  I like this one. When it whips us around, it makes me push up against my gorgeous boyfriend,”  He kissed Sebastian on the cheek, “It’s definitely this one.” Sebastian smiled at him and squeezed his hand.  

When they got off the ride, Nick and Jeff were waiting at the exit.  Jeff was grinning, holding a tie-dyed stuffed frog.

“You won!”  Sugar squealed.

“Yep!  Did you doubt my basketball abilities?”  Jeff smirked.

“Never.”  Sugar smiled.  Nick just rolled his eyes lovingly.

They stopped for hot chocolate before heading to the carousel.  It was just what they needed to warm up. The carousel was magical as the lights of the decorated park passed them by.  Going up and down on the horse he chose, Kurt looked next to him at Sebastian who was rising and falling opposite of him.  They smiled at each other and reached for each other’s hand. Kurt looked behind him and saw Puck and Sugar doing the same.  Behind Puck and Sugar, Sam and Leah were giggling about something as the rode around in circles. In front of him were Nick and Jeff, and then Finn and Rachel.  Even though he was cold, he felt warm inside at the thought of these amazing friends. He was so happy they all had each other.

On the way home, Sebastian asked, “What was everyone’s favorite thing about Winterfest?”

Nick said, “Definitely Mystic Timbers.  So fun.”

Jeff smiled, “Definitely showing Nicky that I actually AM good at shooting baskets.”  Everyone laughed and Nick rolled his eyes.

“I never doubted you, Jeffie.”  Nick said.

“Uh-huh.”  Jeff smirked, but leaned over and kissed Nick on the cheek.  He sat back, “What about you Kurtsie?”

“I just enjoyed the lights and the atmosphere.  I loved watching my family enjoy themselves together.”  Kurt smiled.

Sebastian smiled at him, “That was my favorite part too.”  Kurt reached over and took Sebastian’s hand.

After driving in comfortable silence for awhile, Jeff asked, “So, what are you guys doing for New Year’s Eve?”

Kurt looked at Sebastian.  They hadn’t really discussed it.  

Sebastian said, “Well, I don’t know.  I would like to go dancing. Is that something you’d be up for, Babe?”  They hadn’t been out dancing since the night at Scandals, and Sebastian wasn’t sure if Kurt was ready for that type of scene again.  

Kurt smiled a slightly, “I think it could be fun...As long as I’m never left alone.  I don’t think I could handle that yet.”

“Are you sure?  We could have a party at my house instead.  It’s not a big deal.” Sebastian wanted to make sure Kurt really wanted to go out.

“No, I really would like to go out.  I have to do eventually. I mean, I’m not planning on staying at home the rest of my life.  Especially not in New York.” Kurt hoped everyone understood that he did want to go, but would need some support.  “I’m not going to let Blaine stop me from having fun at a club.”

Sebastian squeezed his hand, “As long as you’re sure.”  He glanced in the rear view mirror, “What about you guys?  Do you have plans, or do you want to go with us somewhere?”

“I would love to go out.”  Jeff looked at Nick.

Nick agreed, “Yeah, I think we could use a night out on the town.  Now it’s just a matter of where to go.”

“I’m sure Columbus has some more accepting clubs.  Don’t you think?” Jeff asked.  
“Let’s look.”  Nick pulled out his phone and looked up some LQGBT friendly clubs.

“Make sure it’s for 18 years old and up.  No fake ID’s this time.” Sebastian said. He still had a pang of guilt about that.  

Nick nodded and continued to look.  “Looks like Axis Nightclub is having a New Year’s party.  It says it’s a dance club/gay bar. 18+ too.”

“Does it have a good rating?  I don’t want to go to a dive.”  Kurt had a worried look on his face.

“Yeah, it does.  Four out of five stars.”  Nick answered.

“Why don’t we see if Puck and Sugar want to go?”  Kurt asked.

“What about Finn and Rachel?”  Jeff asked.

“Clubs aren’t exactly Finn’s scene, and he and Rachel aren’t 18 yet.”  Kurt said.

“We could see if Chris wants to go.  He’s texted a couple of times, seeing if we wanted to do something soon.”  Sebastian glanced away from the road for a second to look at Kurt.

“I think that would be really nice.  I think he needs it.” Kurt said.

“Wait.  Who is Chris?”  Jeff asked.

“He’s the cheerleader from Urbana who was flirting with Kurt at the last competition.”  Sebastian said and smiled. Kurt turned to Nick and Jeff and rolled his eyes.

“I remember that guy.  He asked about the song.  You’ve been texting him, Seb?  How did this all happen?” Nick was curious.  He couldn’t imagine Sebastian being okay with this.

“Well, we ran into him the day we went Christmas shopping.  Karofsky was there and Chris distracted him as we snuck by unnoticed.  We sat and talked for awhile after. He’s a nice guy. A flirt… But he knows Kurt is off limits.  I think he’ll be respectful of that. I think he could use some friends, actually. He has my number, and Puck’s too, so he’s been texting.”

“Well, that would be nice, then,”  Jeff smiled.

“He wanted Bas to fix him up with a Dalton boy.” Kurt giggled.

“I told him I didn’t know who was gay, besides you guys.”  Seb replied.

“Well, there are a few guys.  I’ll have to think about who would be a good fit after I meet him.”  Jeff replied.

“Let’s invite Santana and Brittany too.  They would appreciate going somewhere they could be together and not have to hide it.”

“Sure, Babe.  Whoever you want, as long as they’re 18.”

 

……….

 

After some planning, the group going to Axis Nightclub was Kurt, Sebastian, Nick, Jeff, Puck, Sugar, Santana, Brittany, and Chris.   Everyone met at the Smythe’s house. They would be spending the night there when they returned from the club.

Chris was super excited to go with the group. He was floored when he pulled into the Smythe’s driveway.  He had never been to house so big. He suddenly got a little nervous. He rang the doorbell, took a deep breathe, and waited.  

Sebastian opened the door with a smile, “Hey, Chris!  You look nice.”

Chris blushed a little, “Thanks.”  He was wearing tight black skinny jeans, and a deep orange button up shirt that complimented his skin tone nicely.  “You do too.”

“Thanks.  Come on in.  Everyone is in the living room.  I’ll introduce you to everyone you haven’t met yet.”

Chris stepped inside and his eyes widened, “Wow, Sebastian.  Your home is beautiful.”

Seb smiled, “Thanks. It’s been in the family for years.”

They walked into the living room where everyone was gathered on the couches and floor. Kurt looked up, seeing Chris come in with Sebastian, and he smiled.

“Everyone, this is our new friend, Chris,”  Sebastian began gesturing to everyone, “Over in the kitchen are my parents, Robert and Tori Smythe.”  They waved and smiled to Chris.

“Welcome, Chris.” Tori called as she smiled.  

Robert said, “It’s nice to meet you, Chris. Make yourself at home whenever you’re here.”

“Thank you.”  Chris smiled. It was nice to know that Sebastian’s parents were so accepting.

“You’ve met Puck and Sugar.”  Sugar said hello and Puck nodded.

“Hey.”  Chris grinned.  

Sebastian pointed to Nick and Jeff, “This is my roommate, Nick.  Next to him is his boyfriend, Jeff.  Sometimes we call them Niff.  They’re pretty inseparable.” Sebastian chuckled.

“It’s nice to meet you.”  Chris smiled, hoping he was doing okay at meeting Kurt and Sebastian’s family.  Nick and Jeff greeted him in return.

“These lovely ladies are Santana and Brittany.  I believe you may have met. Sort of. They are on the Cheerios with Kurt.”

“What’s up, hot stuff.”  Santana said with a wicked grin.  

“Is he a dolphin too?”  Brittany asked, not so quietly.  Robert and Tori tried really hard not to laugh.  Chris smiled and waved, but then looked at Kurt, questioning what Brittany said.  

Kurt got up and gave Chris a quick hug and whispered, “Dolphins are gay sharks.  Just go with it.” In a normal voice, he added, “It’s good to see you again. You look great.”

Chris nodded, “Thanks, Kurt.  So do you.”

Everyone did look great.  Kurt and Sugar wore the same outfits that they had worn on Halloween, but Sugar went without the big hair.  Sebastian wore black skinny jeans and a tight green short sleeve button up shirt. Puck was wearing ass hugging jeans and a tight deep red v-neck t-shirt that showed off his muscles nicely.  Nick and Jeff were both wearing Skinny jeans and button up shirts. Brittany was wearing a short black mini-skirt with a blue crop top. Santana wore an off the shoulder tight, short, dress in red.  Red really was her color.

Sebastian looked at Chris, “Have you eaten?  Mom and Dad are insisting on feeding us before we go.”

“Um, I ate a little.  I can always eat, though.”  

“Dinner’s ready.  Just come in, grab a plate, and make your way down the line,”  Tori announced.

Everyone got up and headed to the kitchen, and then made their way to the table.  Chris sat in between Puck and Brittany.

He looked over at Nick and Jeff, who were sitting across from him, “So how long have you two been together?”

Nick smiled, “Three years.  But we’ve been friends a lot longer.”  

Chris raised his eyebrows, “Wow, that’s a long time for people in high school.”

“It is.  But it was meant to be.”  Jeff said with a smile and a shrug of his shoulders.

“So you met everyone here because you’re Sebastian’s roommate?”  he asked, looking at Nick.

“No, actually, I met Kurt when he went to Dalton last school year.  He was my roommate then, and he and Jeff and I were all in the Warblers together.  I met Sebastian when he became my roommate this year, since Kurt went back to McKinley.  And then we met everyone else through Kurt.” Nick smiled at the thoughtful look on Chris’ face.

“I have so many questions….”  Chris said, and everyone chuckled.  

“Go ahead and ask,”  Kurt smiled.

“First, what’s a ‘warbler’?”

Jeff laughed, then answered, “It’s an a capella singing group at Dalton Academy.  Nick, Seb, and I are in it now, and Kurt was in it when he was with us last year.”

“We all sing.  I’m in the Glee Club at McKinley, and so are Puck, Sugar, Brittany, and Santana,”  Kurt smiled.

Chris said, “I knew the three of you could sing, but I didn’t know about the Glee Club and Warblers.  I can’t sing…”

“That’s alright.  But if you come to the next competition, you have to choose who you’re going to cheer for, since we’re likely going to compete against each other,”  Sebastian winked.

Chris laughed, “Too much pressure.”  Everyone chuckled. Chris looked at Kurt, “Okay, so it was just a coincidence that you and Sebastian met?  I mean, you both knew Nick and Jeff, but you said you met at the coffee shop.”

Kurt looked at Sebastian and grinned, and then back to Chris, “Yep. I didn’t know he was Nick’s roommate until the next day when Jeff and I went shopping.  Jeff was telling me that Nick had a new roommate that moved from Paris, and I put two and two together since Bas and I had already learned the basics about each other.”

Chris looked at Sebastian, “Paris?  As in France?”

Sebastian nodded, “Yeah, Mom’s family is from there.  Mom and Leah and I lived there for three years while Mom took care of her sister who was sick.”

Chris nodded, “Wow.”  He knew not to ask about the aunt, but that reminded him about Leah, “Speaking of Leah, where is she tonight?”

Sebastian answered, “She’s in Lima.  She’s going to a party and spending the night at Rachel’s house.  Rachel is also in Glee, and she’s Kurt’s step-brother’s girlfriend.  A bunch of them either didn’t want to go out, or they weren’t old enough, so Rachel is having them all over to her place.”

“So this ‘family’ thing wasn’t just made up, huh?  I mean, you’re little sister is friends with all of Kurt’s friends too?”

“We all accept each other and support each other.  That includes the people we care about, like friends and family.  Leah is our friend, just as much as Sebastian. We just see Sebastian more because he lives closer and he’s Kurt’s boyfriend, and Leah goes to school in Indiana.  It’s no longer ‘Kurt’s friends’ or ‘Seb’s friends’. We are all friends with each other. No limits.” Puck answered.

Robert and Tori and were sitting at the kitchen island, hearing everything the kids were saying.  It warmed their hearts to hear. They were so grateful for this group of kids.

 

After dinner, Kurt said, “Give me five minutes, I want to put my face on.”

“Alright, Babe.  Take your time,” Sebastian said as he leaned down and gave Kurt a kiss on the cheek.  

Everyone was gathered around in the living room again.  As soon as Kurt was out of the room and up the stairs, Sebastian turned to Chris, “So here’s the deal, Chris.  We told you before that Kurt has been through hell, we just didn’t tell you what kind. I won’t go into detail without Kurt’s permission, but I will tell you that something really bad happened the last time some of us went out dancing at the beginning of the school year.  This is the first time he’s been out dancing since then. If you think we’re protective of him at a mall, you haven’t seen anything yet. He’s nervous about it. And honestly, I am too. So we’re all going to keep an eye on him, while still letting him have his freedom and fun.  Are you in?” Robert watched and listened from his seat and grinned from ear to ear.

Chris didn’t hesitate, “Of course.”

“Okay, good.  No one touches him but us,” Sebastian said, gesturing to the room.  “I told you he was off limits, but if he wants to dance with you, or anyone else in this room tonight, that’s fine.  But strangers are a firm NO. If he initiates it, then we’ll see, but I doubt he will. He’s too nervous.”

“I understand,”  Chris said. He was a little intimidated.

Kurt came back down with his hair perfectly messed and his eyes perfectly lined.  Sebastian was pretty sure he heard Chris say ‘wow’ under his breath at the sight of him.  He couldn’t agree more. Kurt looked so hot like that.

“Mmm, Baby, you look hot,”  Sebastian said, making his way to Kurt and then kissed him.

“Thanks, Bas.  Is everyone ready?”

“I think we need to go over a few things first,”  Puck said.

Kurt made a questioning face, and then sat, “Okay.”

Puck addressed the entire group, “We stick together as much as possible.  No one leaves the building without one of us with you, but really no one should leave the building until it’s time to come home.  No one goes to the bathroom alone, including the guys. And no one leaves a drink unattended,” Puck paused and looked at Sebastian, “Did I forget anything?”

Sebastian answered, “Since no one is drinking alcohol, I think you covered it.  Just keep an eye on each other. Everyone ready?”

Everyone nodded and headed outside to the cars after saying thank you and ‘Happy New Year’ to Robert and Tori.

As soon as they left, Robert turned to Tori, “God, I love those kids. Can you imagine Seb’s ‘friends’ in Paris having a talk like that?”

“No I can’t.  I don’t think any of them would have even stayed for dinner, much less spent the night.  Seb has real friends now. Ones that most people long for their entire lives. He and Leah are very lucky.  And it’s all because of Kurt… My future son-in-law.” She winked at Robert. She knew how he wanted the boys to wait several years to get engaged and married, so she liked to bring it up whenever she could, just aggravate him.

Robert just rolled his eyes lovingly at her. “He’s my future son-in-law too.  But not for a long while.”

“Uh-huh”  is all she would say.

 

They parked in a lot down the street from Axis Nightclub.  When they were walking down the street, Sebastian could feel Kurt tense.  He wrapped his arm around him, “I’ve got you, Babe. It’ll be fun.”

“I know, Bas.  Thank you.”

They passed the bouncer at the door on the way to the end of the line.

“Hey!”  The bouncer called.

Puck turned around, “Us?”

“Yeah.  You all together?”

“Yeah, we are,”  Puck answered as the group stopped to see what was going on.

“Come on in.  Skip the line.”

“Thanks, man,”  Puck said.

They all turned to walk in the club.  There were a few grumbles from people standing in line, but most understood.  It was typical for a group of good looking people to be able to skip the line.  The better looking the crowd, the more people want to come back later.

The club was already getting crowded, and the dance floor was thumping with the bass of the music and bodies of all genders, shapes, and ages.  There was a lounge area with some couches, booths, and tables. Two bars flanked the dance floor. It was nothing like Scandals, and although Kurt didn’t have a problem with Scandals itself, the difference did bring him a bit of comfort.

“Let’s go!,”  Santana yelled, throwing her arms up in the air as she strut to dance floor with Brittany in tow.  Santana immediately began dancing up against Brittany.

“Oh,”  Chris said, watching them for a minute.

“Yeah, they’re together,”  Sebastian said, clapping Chris on the back.  “Let’s join them!”

Sebastian, not letting go of Kurt’s hand, began making his way through the crowd.  Kurt quickly turned and grabbed Chris’ hand, pulling him with them.

Their group took up their own little section of the dance floor, and they all enjoyed dancing the rhythms of the songs being played.  No one couple stuck together too closely. Everyone danced with each other, making the night truly about being with friends.

It didn’t take long for their group to attract attention from outsiders.  Santana glared daggers at anyone who approached her or Brittany. At one point, she even had to glare down a woman who had her sights set on Sugar.  Everyone in their group was approached within the first hour or so.

A large muscled man was watching Kurt for a few minutes as he danced near Puck.  He strode over without taking his eyes off Kurt and began dancing, inching his way toward the back of Kurt.  Puck reached around Kurt’s waist, tugged him as close as humanly possible and whipped him around so that he was in between Kurt and the imposer.  He held him close and continued to dance.

Kurt giggled and whispered in his ear, “Noah.  I thought you were straight. What will Sugar think?”

Puck smiled, “Honestly, she’d probably want to join us.”  Kurt laughed, throwing his head back.

Sebastian had been dancing with Brittany, and watched the entire event unfold.  He couldn’t help but smile. Puck was keeping Kurt safe, and Kurt was enjoying himself.  It was just what they needed.

After a couple of hours of dancing, they headed to the bar for some drinks.  Chris set his down on the bar and then turned to talk to a guy who had tapped him on the shoulder.  After a few minutes, Chris turned back around and grabbed his drink. It was almost to his lips when Sebastian grabbed it.

“Nope.  I’ll buy you another one,”  Sebastian said over the music.

Chris was frowning at him, “Why?”  He chuckled, “Are you stealing my drink?”

Sebastian shook his head, “Nah, but you weren’t paying attention.  You set this down and turned your back. And don’t look now, but there are a couple of guys who _used_ to be standing next to you, but are now at the end of the bar watching us. I wouldn’t be surprised if they put something in this.”  Seb reached and put it as far away as he could. He waved the bartender over, “Another Coke for my friend. I would pitch this one.”  He gestured toward the abandoned drink and the bartender nodded as he got Chris another Coke.

“Thanks, Seb,”  Chris said quietly.  He was kind of embarrassed.  They had even discussed this, and he still made the mistake.

Sebastian clapped him on the back, “No problem, man.  I told you, we look out for each other.”

“Yeah, you do.”  Chris smiled shyly.

“Let’s get back to the group.”  Sebastian winked.

 

When they got back to the group, their friends had actually found and couch and a large chair.  Everyone was sitting on each other or the arms of the furniture. Sebastian went to Kurt, who stood so he could sit on Sebastian’s lap.  Sebastian sat and wrapped his arms around Kurt and whispered in his ear. “Maybe this is bad idea, since every gay man in this place seems to want to get their hands on you.  You are so fucking sexy, Baby. The way you move those hips should be illegal.”

“Mmm, I’m not the only one they seem to want.  There have been quite a few guys after you too.  And the other guys for that matter.” Kurt kissed Sebastian on the cheek.  

“I only have eyes for you, Babe.”

“I love you, Bas.”

“Love you too, Baby.  So much.” He squeezed Kurt around the waist and pulled him close. Kurt rested his head on Sebastian’s shoulder while Seb ran his hands up and down Kurt’s arm.

 

After some time resting, they decided to head to the dance floor.  They only had about a half an hour before the clock struck midnight, sending them into the new year.  Kurt was cracking up at Santana and Brittany who seemed to love making a Sebastian sandwich. Sebastian was being a good sport and dancing right along with them.  

Kurt and Chris were dancing together when Kurt said he needed to use the restroom.  Chris said he would go with him, and they made their way through the crowd, with Chris in the lead.  It was a tight squeeze, so Chris turned and grabbed Kurt’s hand. They finally reached the restroom and went inside.  

Back on the dance floor, Sebastian turned and didn’t see Kurt.  “Where is Kurt?” he asked Brittany, who was dancing in front of him.

“Don’t know, Sebby,”  She said.

Sebastian stepped out from between the girls and went to Nick and Jeff, “Have you seen Kurt?”

Jeff smiled, “No worries.  He’s with Chris. They went that way,”  He pointed past the bar, “Probably to the restroom.”

Sebastian nodded and headed that way.  Puck saw him headed off by himself and took Sugar to Santana and Brittany so he could go with Sebastian.  He caught up quickly.

“Where are you going by yourself?”  Puck asked.

Sebastian rolled his eyes, “I’m going to find Kurt.”

“Isn’t he with Chris?”

“Yeah,”  Sebastian said.

They practically ran into Kurt and Chris when they got to the restroom.  Chris was holding Kurt’s hand and walking toward the crowd.

“There you are, Babe.”  Sebastian said.

“I’m fine, Bas.  I just needed to use the restroom.  Chris went with me.”

Chris let go of Kurt’s hand and grinned.  Sebastian wrapped his arm around Kurt’s waist.  “Alright, Babe. I’m just checking on you.”

Kurt kissed his cheek, “You worry too much, Bas.”

He smiled, “Nope.  I worry just the right amount.”

“Mmh Hmm.”  Kurt winked at him.

Chris thought it was sweet, but at the same time he was a bit hurt that Sebastian didn’t trust that he could make sure Kurt stayed safe.  

Sebastian nodded to Chris, “Thanks, Chris.”  

That made Chris feel better, but Sebastian still felt the need to come looking for Kurt.  Did he really not trust him? Chris simply nodded and grinned in return. As they walked back to the dance floor, Puck clapped Chris on the shoulder and shrugged, trying to communicate to just let it go.

 

Soon, the deejay announced five minutes until midnight.  There was an employee passing out hats, headbands, and horns.  Everyone chose one and put them on. Kurt pulled out his phone and took a group selfie.  He suddenly wished he had taken more pictures throughout the night.

When the countdown at one minute began, everyone gathered in closely, so they didn’t lose each other.  

Sebastian held Kurt closely and whispered in his ear, “I’m so happy this year brought me you.  I can’t wait to see what the new year brings us.”

Kurt smiled, “Me too, Bas.  I am so lucky to have you in my life.  This year is going to one big adventure for both of us.  I’m so glad I get to share it with you. I love you.”

Sebastian kissed him softly, “I love you, too, Baby.”  He placed his hand on Kurt’s cheek and stroked him with his thumb.  He felt so lucky.

Everyone began yelling, “10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!  Happy New Year!!!!”

Sebastian and Kurt wrapped their arms around each other and kissed so passionately that the world around them faded away.  Sebastian was was holding Kurt’s jaw with his fingers thread through his hair behind his ears. Kurt’s hands were rubbing up Sebastian’s back, pulling him closer, even though that was impossible.

Puck and Sugar hold each other close and kissed as the clock struck midnight.  Puck leaned back after the kiss, ran his fingers down Sugar’s face, looked her in the eye and said, “I love you, Sugar.”

Sugar sucked in a breath and her eyes widened slightly for a split second before the smile on her face grew impossibly huge.  She jumped in his arms, “I love you, too, Puck!! SO much!”

Puck smiled ear to ear.  He had never told a girl he loved them before.  He knew the moment she said it back that he would do anything to keep her forever.  

Nick and Jeff kissed, but when they pulled away, the both leaned over and kissed Chris on the cheek.  Chris smiled and thanked them. Santana and Brittany were practically making out on the dance floor. Once everyone had kissed their significant other, they all hugged and kissed each other, wishing each other a ‘Happy New Year’.  

Sugar pulled Kurt further onto the dance floor and wrapped her arms around him.  They danced like that for a couple of songs, and then she leaned in and said, “Puck told me he loves me.”

Kurt’s eyebrows shot straight up and his face lit up, “Oh my god, it’s about time!”  He hugged her tight.

“Right?  I am so happy, Angel. And you’re happy, and Nick and Jeffie are happy, and Brittany and Santana are happy, and Finn and Rachel, and -”

“I get it, Sugar!  Everyone is happy.”  Kurt laughed.

“Yeah, but you don’t get it.  Last year, you weren’t happy. And now you are.  Me too. This is big, Angel.”

“I know, Sugar,”  Kurt smiled and leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, “And I love you, too, ya know.”

She smiled, “I love you, Angel.  It’s going to be a great year.”

“Yes it is.”

 

Kurt and Sebastian were on the dance floor in each other arms.  Kurt looked out into the throng of people and saw the back of a shorter man with black gelled hair pass through the crowd.  Suddenly Kurt sucked in a breath and stiffened. Sebastian leaned back to look at Kurt, “What’s wrong, Babe?”

“B-Blaine,”  Kurt whispered.  He was frozen in his spot.

“What?  Did you say ‘Blaine’?  Babe, that’s not possible.  It’s just someone who looks like him,”  Sebastian said as he ran his hands up and down Kurt’s arms.  He couldn’t see who Kurt was talking about, but he knew it was impossible that it would be Anderson.

Kurt continued to scan the room and shook his head, “Yeah,”  he whispered, “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Hey.  Are you ready to head home?”

Kurt looked up at Sebastian and nodded his head, “Is that okay?”

“Sure.  We can let everyone know that we’re going.  They can stay if they aren’t ready to go home yet.”  Sebastian wrapped his arm around Kurt, and they went over to the rest of the group.

Sebastian grabbed Puck’s arm, “Hey, we’re going to head out.  If you guys want to stay, just text me when you get to the house, and I’ll come let you in.”

Puck glanced at Kurt.  He was stiff and holding on to Seb’s arm like his life depended on it.  “I’ll check with everyone else, but I’m ready,” he looked at Kurt again, “You okay, Princess?”  Kurt just nodded, but his eyes continued to roam the room.

Nick came over, “Hey guys, what’s up?”

“We’re headed home.  You can stay if you want,”  Sebastian said.

Nick and Puck asked around, and everyone was ready to head out.

“Hells yeah, my feet are killing me!”  Santana said. She saw the look on Kurt’s face.

They made sure they had everyone and headed outside to the street.  They made their way down the street, but Kurt became slower and slower, until finally he stopped.

“Babe, you’re shaking.  What’s the matter?” Sebastian asked softly as he wrapped his arms around Kurt, “Are you cold?”

Kurt was looking at the parking lot with wide eyes, that were sweeping over the street and the parking lot.  Sebastian understood. “Do you want me to go get the car? You can stay here with Puck and the guys?” Kurt nodded ‘yes’.  

“Puck!”  Sebastian called.  Puck quickly came over to where they were standing.  “Stay with Kurt. I’m going to get the car.”

“Absolutely.  Come here, Princess.”  Puck grabbed Kurt and held him close.  Everyone else gathered close. “It’s okay, Kurt.  Seb is getting the car. He’ll be right back.”

Kurt continued to shake and a tear fell silently down his cheek.  He still hadn’t said a word.

“You’re shaking, Princess.  I’ve got you. Nothing bad is going to happen.  I promise.” Puck had wrapped his arms around Kurt and was rubbing his back.  

Sugar put her hand on his shoulder, “Seb is pulling out of the lot now, Angel.”

Chris was watching everything.  He stuck close to Nick and Jeff.  He didn’t know what Kurt had been through, but it must have been bad.  Kurt’s reaction was scaring him. He was so worried.

Sebastian pulled up at the curb.  

“Here you go, Princess.”  Puck walked him over the the car.  Nick opened the door to the corvette, and Kurt didn’t let go of Puck until he was sitting in the car.  Puck reached over and grabbed the seat belt, buckling Kurt in.

Sebastian reached over and held Kurt the best he could.  “We’re headed home, Baby. It’s okay.”

 

On the way back to the house the group was very quiet.  Finally, Chris said, “Can someone please tell me what is going on?  What happened to Kurt?”

Jeff looked around, “I think it would be okay with Kurt if Chris knew.  We should tell him.”

“I agree.”  Sugar said.

Nick began, “Alright.  Where do we even start?”

“Karofsky.  He knows a little about him,”  Puck answered.

“Okay,”  Nick continued, “So, Kurt was bullied at McKinley by a bunch of jocks.  Mostly lead by Dave Karofsky. We’re talking locker shoves, dumpster tosses, slushies to the face.  He was covered in bruises. He confronted Dave one day, but unfortunately, they were alone. Dave turned out to be a closeted gay.  He forced a kiss on Kurt.” Chis sighed. Little did he know where this was headed. Nick continued, “So Dave freaked out. The physical bullying got worse, and he ended up threatening to kill Kurt.”

“Oh my God.”  Chris said.

“Just wait, hot stuff.  It gets worse,” Santana deadpanned.

“Puck accidently walked in on Kurt when he was undressing for the shower one day and saw all of the bruises.  That’s when Puck and Kurt’s brothers, Finn and Sam, started keeping an eye on Kurt at school. They took care of some of the bullying, but Dave didn’t ease up, and Kurt was terrified.  His dad found out, and sent him to Dalton.

At Dalton, he met Blaine.  Blaine seemed perfect at first.  But things slowly started to get worse.  Blaine didn’t expect Kurt to be such a spitfire, and it caused friction when Kurt didn’t do what Blaine wanted.  He tried to manipulate Kurt a lot. They weren’t doing well relationship wise when Kurt met Sebastian.”

“At the coffee shop because of Karofsky?”  Chris asked.

“Yeah,”  Nick said, “Karofsky came in after Puck, Mike, and Kurt’s brothers left for football.  Kurt stayed to read, and he was alone. He had decided to go back to McKinley for a few reasons.  To put space between he and Blaine, to spend time with friends, since that was an issue with Blaine, to not have to wear a uniform,”  everyone chuckled, “and because Karofsky had transferred schools. So when he saw him at Lima Bean, he freaked out. He started to go to the bathroom to avoid him, but Dave spotted him.  Seb was sitting there and Kurt asked if he could join him, which of course, Seb agreed to. Dave apologized and Kurt forgave him.”

“Really?”

“He forgives too easily,”  Santana said.

“Yeah, so, the next day when Kurt pieced it all together that Sebastian is my roommate, we all decided to go out dancing.  Sebastian got us fake IDs... which he still feels guilty about, so don’t bring it up… and we went to a little gay bar called Scandals.  It was Jeff and I, Sebastian, and Blaine and Kurt. We had a good time. We sang karaoke, danced… But Blaine drank… Or at least we thought he did.  He was acting drunk, so Kurt went to take him home….” Nick paused, trying to control his emotions.

Puck took over, “The fucker tried to rape Princess, right there in the parking lot.  Beat the shit out of him. Knocked him unconscious at one point, gave him a concussion.  Seb went outside to take a break, get some air, and he heard Blaine yelling at Kurt. He ran over and the fucker was on top of him.  Kurt's clothes were ripped open...He was awake, but struggling big time.  Blaine had him pinned, with his hand down his pants. It was bad. Well, Seb lost his shit, thankfully, and knocked Blaine out. Broke his hand on his face.”

Jeff said, “Seb called us from the parking lot, told us to call 911.  We ran outside and found Seb on the ground holding Kurt. Blaine was laying there unconscious.  It was horrible. Kurt was almost unrecognizable. He was so beat up. Clothes ripped open, scrapes from the pavement, bruises, and cuts.”

“Oh my god.”  Chris whispered.  He and Brittany both had tears running down their cheeks.  How could someone do something like that to someone as sweet as Kurt?

“It actually gets worse,”  Sugar said, sadly. “Dave was there at the bar.  They talked and were friendly. He followed Nick and Jeff out and saw everything.  He’s actually the one who called 911. The good thing that came of it all was that Seb and Angel got together.  They’ve been inseparable since that night. Really, we all knew from the day they met. They’re ‘it’, ya know?” Chris nodded his head that he understood.  He could see it too. Sugar continued, “Anyway, Dave became jealous of Seb. He apparently had a crush on Angel. He started spying on them both. Stalked them.  They got freaked out by it. Kurt even had a night terror one night because of feeling like he was being watched. Well, one night, after a coffee date with Seb, Angel came home and actually saw someone watching from the neighbors yard.  He ran inside. Sam stayed with him and Finn and Puck chased the guy. It was Dave. They caught him and Finn punched him pretty good and brought him back to the house. Seb had come back right way, just in time to see Angel faint, seeing that it was Dave and all. He had flashbacks of what Dave put him through, and couldn’t take it. The police were called, and the boys got restraining orders against him.”

“So, what happened to Blaine?”

Nick answered, “Well, Seb’s dad a state's attorney, and Kurt’s dad is a congressman.  Needless to say, they had a good lawyer. But with the photographs of Kurt’s injuries and testimonies, he didn’t stand much of a chance, regardless.  The trial was painful, but Blaine lost his temper in court over Kurt and Sebastian being together, and really showed his true colors. He was tried as an adult and got five years in prison.”

“Thank God,”  Chris said. “I understand why you are all so protective of him.”

“We’re protective of everyone in our family,”  Puck said. “We had to rescue Leah from an asshole awhile ago too.  Luckily, he didn’t get anywhere with her but scaring her a few times. He and his buddy roughed Kurt up though.  Since they couldn’t get to Leah or Seb, they thought they’d mess with the person Seb loves the most. Fuckers are still paying for that one.”  

“What do you mean?”

Santana answered, “Oh, the Cheerios and I made sure the one guy never got any pussy again.  He suddenly had a small dick and herpes, if you know what I mean. He trips a lot in school.  Falls into lockers too. I don’t know what his deal is.” She grinned an evil smile that strangely made Chris smirk.

“Just like his buddy, apparently.  Something must be wrong with his car, though, because it is constantly getting flat tires.  Like, constantly,” Santana grinned, “And oddly enough, Dave is the one who figured it all out.  One of the guys goes to his school and was bragging about it.”

“Shit, you really are like the MOB.  I know I’ve said it before, but really…” Chris said.  “I mean, it’s nice. Scary, but nice.”

“It’s only scary if you’re on the wrong side of things,”  Puck said.

“True,”  Chris agreed.  He was silent for a few minutes then asked, “So why did Sebastian not trust me taking Kurt to the restroom?  Am I too new?”

“Look,”  Jeff said, “It’s not that he doesn’t like you.  If he didn’t, you wouldn’t be here. But you have to remember that all the hell Kurt has been through has been by the hands of people who _knew_ him.  Some even claimed to love him.  He trusts us with him, but honestly, when it comes to a place like a club, the only person he would probably feel safe letting take Kurt off somewhere would be Puck.  Puck is as fiercely protective of Kurt, and Seb knows it, and trusts it. Plus he can hold his own in a fight. Don’t take it personally.”


	30. New Years Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian helps Kurt cope with his flashbacks of the attack. Friends are awesome. Santana finds out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos make me happy and help me keep writing. I enjoy chatting with you all!  
> It's a busy time for me at work, so I'm trying really hard to keep updating, at least once a week. Thanks for sticking with me!

 

Kurt had been fine at the club.  They danced and had a good time. Everything was fun until Kurt saw the man in the crowd that looked like Blaine.  He couldn’t see his face, so his mind went straight to thinking that it was him, even if that wasn’t rational. Approaching the parking lot after seeing the man who reminded him of his ex was a bit too much.  The night of the assault came rushing back to him. The fear. The pain. The struggle.

They had only been driving for about 10 minutes when Seb couldn’t take it anymore.  Kurt had been shaking, wouldn’t talk, wouldn’t open his eyes, and he looked like he was lost in his head.  He had been holding Kurt’s hand, rubbing his leg, but nothing was soothing Kurt at all. He called Puck.

“Puck, we’re getting off the highway.  Nick and Jeff can take my car, we’re riding with you.  I need to get closer to him, and I can’t while I’m driving.”  

“You got it,”  Puck answered.

Puck hung up the phone and without taking his eyes off the road, he said, “Nick, you’re driving Seb’s car with Jeff.  They’re riding with us.”

“Not the reason I was hoping I’d be able to drive his corvette, but okay.  Whatever they need,” Nick answered.

“Angel’s not getting better?” Sugar asked as she put her hand on Puck’s leg.  

“No, he’s not,”  Puck sighed.

They pulled off the highway and into an empty parking lot.  Nick and Jeff hopped out of the car at the same time as Sebastian.  Sebastian made his way around to the passenger side door and opened it.  He leaned in and unbuckled Kurt, who was sitting with his eyes closed, still shaking.  

Sebastian crouched down next to Kurt and put one hand on Kurt’s shoulder and the other on his leg, “Look at me, Babe.”

Kurt didn’t open eyes.  He still seemed to be lost in his head, back at the horrible night.

Sebastian lowered his tone, “Look at me, Kurt.”  Nick and Jeff looked at each other. They knew what Seb was doing, and they hoped it worked.

Kurt’s eyes snapped open.  He slowly moved just his eyes to look at Sebastian.  Sebastian’s heart broke. Kurt’s blue eyes had turned grey-blue, and all Sebastian could see was how lost and  scared his boyfriend was.

Sebastian reached up and put his hands on either side of Kurt’s face, stroking his cheeks with his thumbs, “I’ve got you, Baby.”  Kurt let out a shaky breath. “We’re going to go to your car now. Puck is going to drive us back to my house. Nick and Jeff will take my car.  I need you to get out of the car now, Babe.”

 

While Sebastian was trying to get Kurt out of the car, Puck looked behind him to Chris, “Chris, I need you to switch seats with Sugar.  Princess is going to need someone more familiar next to him. Sugar’s his best friend.”

“Sure,”  Chris said.  He got out of the car and came around to open the door for Sugar.  

Sugar hopped out, “Thanks, hun.  I hope this doesn’t offend you. You know, it’s not that we don’t want Kurt near you, it’s just he’s going to need someone he feels most safe with.  Nobody better than his boyfriend and best friend. Especially since I’m a girl. No girl has ever hurt him.”

“I understand.  It’s fine. Really.  I just want what’s best for him too.  I hope soon, he will know that about me, like he does about all of you.”  Chris smiled a small, soft smile.

Sugar returned the smile, leaned in and kissed Chris on the cheek.  “I hope so too.”

 

“Kurt, I need you to get out of the car,”  Sebastian repeated, once again lowering his tone.

Kurt looked at Sebastian, tears in his eyes, “S-Sir…” he quietly whispered, “I…I...”

Sebastian didn’t hesitate, “Okay, Baby.  I’ve got you.” Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s arm and wrapped it around his shoulder, “Hold on to me, Babe.”

“Y-Yes, Sir,”  Kurt whispered so softly that Sebastian barely heard him.  

Sebastian picked Kurt up bridal style and carried him over to the Navigator. “You’re doing a good job for me, Babe.”  Kurt had his head buried in Sebastian’s neck, and his eyes closed. Chris saw them coming and jumped out to open the door for them.  Sebastian nodded to him.

“I’m going to set you down next to Sugar, Babe.  I’m getting in right behind you.” Sebastian leaned into the car as much as he could to get Kurt into the middle of the seat.  Kurt let go of his neck just enough to allow him to climb in behind him. Once he was in, Chris shut the door behind him, and climbed back into the front seat.  Sebastian picked Kurt up and set him in his lap, holding him close. Without saying a word, Puck began driving and Nick and Jeff followed behind.

Sebastian was stroking Kurt’s hair and holding him close.

Kurt whispered, “Sing to me, Sir?”

“Of course,”  Sebastian said.  He began singing ‘You’re Gonna Be Okay’ by Jen Johnson, just like he had the night before the trial.  

Chris sat and listened to the words of the song.  He couldn’t help but think that Kurt was very lucky to have such a caring boyfriend and friends.  He longed for something similar in his own life, although he didn’t want to get it in the same terrible way that Kurt had.  

 

Once they pulled into the driveway of the Smythe home, Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s back, “We’re home, Babe.  Do you think you can get out on your own?” Kurt nodded. Puck parked, with Nick parking next to them. Before they knew it, Nick was opening the back door of the Navigator.  He offered his hand to help Kurt climb off of Sebastian’s lap and out of the car. Kurt sat still for a few seconds, but when Sebastian whispered, “Go ahead,” Kurt accepted Nick’s hand and climbed out of the Navigator.  Sebastian wasn’t sure if that was because Kurt needed his Dom, was too scared, or if it was because Kurt was still a bit spaced out.

When Seb was out of the car, he wrapped his arm around Kurt’s waist and lead everyone to the front door.  Once inside and in the living room, Sebastian said, “I can show everyone to their rooms in a minute.”

Kurt squeezed his hand, so Seb turned to look at him.  Kurt whispered, “Please, Sir. I need them close.”

“First, we take care of you.  Then, they can join us if that is what you still want,” Sebastian said quietly.  He turned back to everyone, “I’m going to go take care of getting Kurt settled, then I’ll be back to get everyone else situated.”  He looked to Puck, Nick, and Jeff, hoping they understood what he meant so that they could ease any other concerns while he was with Kurt.  Puck nodded and they all went to rest on the couches.

Sebastian took Kurt by the hand and lead him upstairs to his bedroom.  “Go get in the shower. When you are out, dry off, get dressed for bed, and then I want you kneeling  and waiting for me.”

“Yes, Sir,”  Kurt said. He paused and then squeezed Seb’s hand, “Thank you, Sir.”

Sebastian pressed his forehead to Kurt’s, “Anything for you, Babe.  Now go.”

Kurt turned and went into Sebastian’s bathroom.  As soon as Seb heard the water running, he returned to the living room.  Everyone turned to look at him, “Kurt’s in the shower now. He wants everyone close to him, if that’s okay with you all.  It will mean most of you will be sleeping on the floor.”

“That’s fine with us,”  Santana said.

“Whatever he needs,”  Chris added.

“Okay.  So all of the rooms upstairs are bedrooms with a bathroom.  Mine is the one at the end of the hall. If you plan on showering tonight instead of the morning, just pick a room other than mine.  Towels are under the sinks in all the bathrooms. All of the bathrooms have the basic necessities, but if you need something more, you’ll probably find it in Leah’s bathroom.  She won’t mind. Kurt and I are going to need a few minutes after he gets out of the shower. If the door is open, come on in. If it’s closed, please wait.”

“You got it.  Go take care of Kurt.  We’ll figure things out if we need to,”  Puck said.

“Thanks,”  Sebastian responded on his way out of the room.  “Feel free to raid the fridge too!”

 

Sebastian showered in one of the guest rooms upstairs as quickly as he could.  Once he was out and dressed, he went into his bedroom. Kurt was already out of the shower, dressed in pajama pants and one of Sebastian’s Dalton t-shirts that he ‘borrowed’.  He was kneeling at the end of the bed, head down, hands behind his back. Kurt couldn’t help but think that kneeling for Sebastian like he had been was exactly what he needed. Even if kneeling was all he did.

“Thank you, Kurt,”  Sebastian said as approached his beautiful boyfriend.  He ran his fingers through Kurt’s hair. Kurt leaned into the touch.  “Stand.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt stood. Head still bowed and hands behind his back.  

Sebastian ran his hand down Kurt’s face, neck, shoulders and arms.  “Tell me what you need.”

There was a long pause, “I don’t know, Sir.”  Tears filled Kurt’s eyes. “I need to forget, but I can’t.  It’s impossible, Sir. I don’t know. I’m lost….again.” A tear fell as Kurt spoke, and it broke  Sebastian’s heart.

“You’re right.  It is impossible.  It hasn’t been that long, Kurt.  It has only been a little over a month since the trial.  Nobody expects you to forget, and nobody expects you to be over it.  You’ve been doing an amazing job so far, Babe.” Sebastian wiped away a tear from Kurt’s cheek and paused for a minute, “I want you to see a counselor of some sort.”  

Kurt nodded, “Yes, Sir.”  He knew that was probably going to be what was for the best.  

“Are you ready for everyone to come in?  Is that what you still want?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Okay.  Go ahead and get in bed.  I’ll open the door so everyone knows that they can come in.”

“Yes, Sir,”  Kurt looked up at Sebastian, “Thank you.”

Sebastian put his hands on Kurt’s face, “I love you, Kurt.  I will _always_ be here to help you.  Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.  I love you, too.  More than anything.”  Sebastian kissed him gently.  They held each other for a few minutes before Kurt climbed into bed, and Sebastian opened his door.  

 

A little while later, Sugar, Puck, and Chris came into the bedroom.  “Feeling better, Angel?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.”  He held out his arms, and Sugar climbed into bed and cuddled with Kurt.  Puck climbed in behind her and snuggled up too. He reached around her and put his hand on Kurt’s arm, “Glad you’re feeling better, Princess.”

“Thanks, Noah,”  Kurt whispered, “And thanks for helping tonight.  I love you both.”

“We love you too, Princess.  And you know, I would do anything you need.”

“I know.”

Chris made himself comfortable on Sebastian’s loveseat, as Nick, Jeff, Santana, and Brittany came into the bedroom.

“Are you okay, Porcelain?” Santana asked.  

“Yeah, Tana,” He addressed everyone, “Sorry if I ruined New Years Eve. I had fun most of the night,”  Kurt gave a small smile.

“Don’t sweat it.  My feet were killing me anyway.”

“You didn’t ruin anything, Kurtsie.  We all had a good time. We also know that things will be challenging for you for awhile.  We’re all here for you,” Nick smiled. Kurt returned the smile, trying not to cry.

Sebastian came into the room with lots of pillows and blankets, throwing them on the end of the bed.  “Again, I leave for a couple of minutes, and you two are in bed with my man!,” Sebastian smiled.

Kurt grinned, “You know you’re my one and only, Bas.”

Sebastian leaned over and kissed Kurt quickly, “Yeah, Baby.”

“Now I’m jealous,”  Puck said.

“You’re jealous?!  I’m the only single one here,”  Chris said, “Seriously, we need to find me a boyfriend.”

Everyone chuckled, and Jeff said, “We’ll work on that.”  

“Thank God.  There aren’t many choices in Urbana.”  He winked, “Maybe I should transfer to Dalton.”

“Or you could save tens of thousands and just let us see what we can do for you at Dalton,”  Nick smiled.

“Alright.  But make it fast,”  Chris smiled.

While they were talking, Sebastian got everyone situated with pillows and blankets.  “If it’s okay with Kurt, I don’t care if you two sleep there,” Sebastian said to Puck and Sugar.

“Please?”  Kurt said quietly.

“Sure, Angel.  You know I love sleeping with you,” Sugar smiled.  Sebastian smiled at them and then climbed in behind Kurt, kissing him on the forehead.  

Kurt turned toward everyone, “Thank you all for being there for me, and helping me tonight.  I thought I was doing so much better. I umm...saw someone who looked like Blaine from behind, and I uh...I guess it messed with my head.  Sorry.”

Nick was the first one to speak, “There is no need to apologize, Kurt.  We understand. When we all told you we’d be there for you, it wasn’t for just for that night, or just for the trial.  It was always.”

Jeff added, “Kurtsie, it hasn’t been that long.  No one expects you to be over it all of the sudden.”

“Plus, you’ve dealt with more shit after that.  That probably delayed your mental healing too,” Puck said.  

Kurt looked at Chris, suddenly remembering that he’s new to the group.  

Jeff saw and quickly said, “Umm, I hope it’s okay, but we filled him in on the way here.”  

Chris looked a little worried, “I was a bit confused, but I understand now.”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind.  I’m glad you understand now why everyone is a little extra protective of me.” Chris nodded.  He didn’t know what to say. Kurt continued and smiled, “Can you guys sing a song to me?”

Brittany squealed, “There it is!”

“There what is, Britt?”  Santana asked.

“Porcelain’s awnry smile!,”  Everyone chuckled.

“Okay, before you all sing, because I won’t be joining in on that… I just want to know exactly how many nicknames you have, Kurt.  So far, I know of five. That’s crazy!” Chris smiled.

Sebastian laughed, “I asked the same thing after a couple of weeks.”

“So, let me guess...You know Porcelain, Angel, Princess, Kurtsie, and, of course, Babe or Baby,”  Puck smiled.

“Yeah.  Are there more?” Chris wondered.

“I call him Porcelain, but sometimes Dolphin,”  Brittany grinned.

“Dolphin?”

“Gay sharks!”  Everyone said in unison.  Chris was cracking up.

“Finn and Sam call me Dude most of the time.  Dad calls me Bud or Kiddo. Dave called me Fancy.  Most of the other names people call me aren’t so nice.  I answer to many names,” Kurt answered, and Chris smiled at him.  

Puck looked at Sebastian, “Got your guitar?”  

“Yeah.  It’s in the closet.”

Puck went over and went in the closet, “No closet jokes!”  Everyone laughed. “Any special request, Princess?”

“Hmm.  Something Disney.  Disney makes me happy,”  Kurt eyed Puck to see if he would have a smartass responce to that.  Surprisingly, he didn’t.

“How’s ‘I See The Light’ from Tangled.  It’s your favorite Princess movie, right Princess?”

Kurt raised his eyebrows, “How did you know that?!”

“I know you very well,”  Puck smiled.

“Yeah, I know.  But usually when I mention Disney, you tune me out.”

“Mmm, not as much as you might think.”  Puck began strumming the guitar. The girls and Kurt began singing first, and then the guys and Kurt continued.  Chris just listened. He was amazed at how they harmonized so well. They sounded great. When the song was over, Puck put the guitar away and climbed back in bed.  

“Thanks everyone.  That was perfect,” Kurt smiled and snuggled into Sebastian.  

Sebastian said, “Okay, time for sleep.  Good night everyone. Happy New Year.” Everyone returned the well wishes and settled into sleep.  

When the room was quiet, Sebastian kissed Kurt on the forehead and said, “I love you, Babe.”

“Love you too, Bas.”

 

……………..

 

Chris woke up the next morning, and it took a few seconds for him to register where he was.  He looked around at his new friends and smiled. Each couple was cuddled together, sound asleep. He sat up and looked over at the bed.  Sebastian was wrapped protectively around Kurt, and as much as he thought it was wonderful, he again felt that jealous ping in his chest.  He longed for something like that. Maybe this was his year.

He got up and made his way to the bathroom, and then down to the kitchen to get a drink.  As he made his way down the hall, Satchmo came bounding toward him. He giggled and bent down to pet him, “Why hello there.  What’s your name? Awww, you’re a cutie!” He continued down to the kitchen and found Robert and Tori sitting at the kitchen island.  Robert was reading the paper and Tori was looking at her phone. “Oh! Good morning,” Chris said sort of shyly.

“Good morning, Chris!”  Robert said.

“Good morning.  Can we get you something?”  Tori asked.

“Um, I would love some water.  Can you point me toward the glasses?”

“Sure, hun,”  Tori pointed to the cabinet behind Chris.  He reached and got a glass, and as he was getting his water from the fridge, Tori said, “I can fix you something, but honestly, I think Sugar and Kurt are planning on fixing breakfast. You won’t want to fill up before that.  They work some serious magic in the kitchen.”

Chris smiled, “Is there anything this group can’t do?”

Robert chuckled, “Not really.  They’re pretty amazing. Especially together.”

“Yeah,”  Chris grinned, “I got that impression.  I’m lucky they invited me last night.”

Tori sipped her coffee and then said, “They are a great group.  You must have made a good impression. They’re pretty tight. You’re the first newbie since Seb.”

“Well, they have good reason to be tight and not let just anyone in,”  Chris grimaced.

“They told you about that?”  Robert was kind of surprised.  

“Yeah. They kind of had to.  But, uh, I’ll let them tell you about that, if that’s okay.”

“Sure, hun,”  Tori said.

Satchmo sat at Chris’ feet and whined.  Robert and Tori chuckled. “Seems Satchmo has taken a liking to you,”  Tori said as Chris bent down and pet the dog.

“Satchmo, huh?  Is that your name?”  He scratched him behind the ears.  

 

Kurt, Sebastian, Puck, and Sugar all came into the kitchen a couple of minutes later.  Kurt and Sebastian both hugged and kissed Tori and Robert, wishing them a Happy New Year.  

The four of them set to making breakfast right away.  Puck and Sugar worked seamlessly around each other, just like Kurt and Sugar always had.  Watching the two of them made Kurt smile. Sebastian began the coffee right away, and before they knew it, everything was on platters and ready to be served. The smell of breakfast woke up Santana, Brittany, Jeff, and Nick.  They were downstairs before anything had a chance to cool down.

Everyone gathered around the dining room table while Robert and Tori stayed in their spots.  It only took a minute for Chris’ eyes to widen, “Oh. My. Gosh. This is SO good. You should sell this stuff!”

Sugar giggled, “Thank you.  That’s the plan,” she looked at the boys, “I emailed the Headmaster at Dalton.  I have an appointment next Tuesday to meet with him!”

“Sugar that’s amazing!”  Sebastian said.

“I can’t wait.  We get first dibs though,”  Nick said and Jeff agreed.

“Paying customers get first dibs,”  Kurt grinned.

“What are you talking about?”  Chris asked.

“Oh, sorry, Sweetie,”  She smiled apologetically, “I’ll hopefully be selling some muffins and breads at Dalton.  Maybe cupcakes too. I want to open my own bakery after school. The Sugar Shack!”

Chris chuckled, “That’s so perfect.  I can’t imagine something this good not selling out within minutes.  So. Good.”

“Thanks, Hun,”  Sugar smiled. Puck grinned and rubbed her back.  He knew she could do it, and he would be right there with her the whole time.  

 

After breakfast, Sebastian and Kurt were putting the dishes in the dishwasher while their friends were upstairs getting dressed.  Tori carefully asked, “Kurt, Honey, are you okay. Chris alluded to something happening last night.”

Kurt leaned his front up against the other side of the island and Sebastian wrapped his arms around him from behind, “Yeah.  We had a great time. Around 1 this morning, I saw a shorter guy with gelled hair on the dance floor. I couldn’t see his face, so my mind went straight to thinking that it was Blaine.  I was upset, but doing okay, until we approached the parking lot. Then I started having flashbacks. It got pretty bad,” Kurt put his hands over Sebastian’s where they rested on his stomach, “Luckily, Bas helped pull me out of it.  I don’t know what I’d do without him.” He turned and kissed Sebastian on the cheek.

“Oh, Honey.  I’m so sorry.”  Tori gave him a sympathetic look.  “That isn’t surprising, if you think about it.  What you went through was very traumatic. There will be things that trigger that from time to time, I would think.”

Sebastian added, “I want him to see someone about it.  A counselor or psychiatrist or psychologist. I think it would help.”

“You’re probably right.  I’m sure it may be PTSD. A professional will be able to help you deal with it,”  Robert added.

“Yeah, I told Bas that I would.  I’ll make a call this week.”

“Good, Honey.  I’m glad Bas helped last night,”  Tori smiled softly at Kurt.

“Me too.”

 

A couple of hours later, the group was sitting around the living room.  Puck and Sebastian were taking turns playing guitar and the group was singing different songs.  The front door opened and Leah, Sam, Finn, and Rachel came in smiling. Everyone greeted each other excitedly.  

Sebastian said, “Chris, you met Leah,”  Chris smiled and waved to her and she smiled back, “and these are Kurt’s brothers, Finn and Sam.  And this is our friend, and Finn’s girlfriend, Rachel.”

“It’s nice to meet you.  I hear wonderful things about you all,”  Chris smiled and shook everyone’s hand.

“Yeah, you too, man,”  Sam smiled.

Rachel smiled and shook his hand, “Chris, it’s so nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, Chris,”  Finn said as he shook his hand, “Did you guys have fun last night?”

“Yes, we did,”  Kurt said quickly.  “How was the party, Rachel?”  Sebastian rubbed his back. Everyone who went to the club notice the quick diversion.

“Good!  Everyone left a couple of hours ago.  We danced, sang, and played games. You know, our typical Glee Club gathering, just with the ball drop added in.  Turns out Leah has a pretty good voice!”

Leah blushed, “Well, I sing in the choir at school, but we don’t have a Glee Club.  I had fun singing with you guys though.”

“So, tell us about the club!  Was it awesome dancing? Was there karaoke?”  Finn asked.

Santana was quick to jump in, “It was great.  There was no karaoke, but it was nice for us all to dance with each other and nobody even batted an eye.”  Everyone agreed, and then there was an awkward silence for a few seconds.

Sebastian said, “So do you guys want something to drink?”  He was trying to fill the silence with anything he could think of.  

“So, what happened?”  Sam asked. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Kurt, “You okay?”

Sebastian couldn’t help but grin and shake his head.  Kurt sighed, “God, sometimes I hate that we can all read each other so well,”  He rolled his eyes, “I had a bit of a setback last night. I thought I saw Blaine, and it messed with my head.  I panicked as we approached the parking lot. I was having flashbacks. It was a mess,” Kurt shook his head.

Sebastian pulled him into his lap, “It’s okay, Babe.”

“Sorry, little brother,”  Finn said.

“Are you okay now?”  Rachel asked.

Kurt nodded.  

Leah saw that Kurt didn’t want to talk about it anymore, so she changed the subject, “So, who wants to sing something now that we’re back?”

Sebastian and Kurt gave her a grateful smile.  “That sounds like a great idea. What should we sing?” Kurt asked.

“Mmm, how about ‘Sexy Back’, now that we’re here,” Sam smiled.  Everyone chuckled and they began singing.

Once they were finished singing, Puck looked at Chris, “Sorry, man.  I know you don’t sing, so this must be boring for you.”

“Not at all!”  Chris said, “It’s like having a live show.  I love it!” Everyone smiled and they chose their next song.

Kurt slid off Sebastian’s lap and knelt at his feet, facing away, just to the right of his legs.  He did not bow his head or put his hands behind his back.  To most, it would look like he was just sitting on his knees. Sebastian ran his hands through Kurt’s hair, and Kurt sighed, leaning into Seb’s touch.  He found so much comfort this way. Kurt didn’t need anything other than a little comfort right now, so they sat like this for a few songs.  

What they didn’t know, was that Santana, like Puck, knew all about what was going on.  At least she thought she did. She just knew stuff like this. She had started noticing things a little at time.  She silently kept an eye on Kurt since the attack, so noticing wasn’t hard to do. It was at Kurt’s birthday party that she noticed the most.  Last night, though, she heard for herself. She heard Kurt call Sebastian ‘Sir’. She had also seen how Sebastian took care of Kurt, and how much Kurt needed Sebastian.  She just needed to make sure Sebastian knew what he was doing.

After the next song, Santana said, “Hey Sebastian, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Sebastian raised his eyebrows, surprised, “Sure, Santana.  Lets go to the office.” He kissed Kurt’s temple, “I’ll be back, Baby.”

Seb lead the way to the office and when Santana was in, he closed the door.  “Is everything okay?”

“I hope so,”  She said. “I know what’s going on.”

Sebastian frowned, “What’s going on?”  He really didn’t know what she was referring to.  

“I know that you are Kurt’s Dom.”  She kept her eyes focused on his, trying to notice if he made any signs of… well… she wasn’t sure what.  But she was watching for whatever it was.

Sebastian’s eyebrows shot straight up, “What makes you think that?”

“I’ve been watching for awhile now.  I keep an eye on Kurt. I want to make sure he’s okay, ya know?  I’ve noticed things. And then last night, everything was confirmed when I heard him call you ‘Sir’.  Look, Seb, I know you take care of him. I know you love him. But I need to know that you know what you’re doing with this.”

“I do, Santana.  And you are correct about everything.  Puck, Nick, and Jeff already know.”

Santana was surprised, “Seriously?  And Puck is okay with this?”

“He is.  We all had a long talk one night when Puck called us out on it. He had noticed Kurt kneeling.  Would you like me to go get Kurt? Maybe Puck too? We can all make sure everything is cleared up.”

“Yeah.  That might be good.”

Sebastian went out to the living room by himself.  Everyone was singing, so he quietly went over to Kurt, who was still kneeling, and whispered in his ear, “I need you to join Santana and I in the office, Babe.”

Kurt just nodded as he got up to follow Sebastian. Sebastian looked to Puck and gestured for him to come with them.  Puck kissed Sugar on the cheek and got up to follow Seb and Kurt. They went into the hallway, where Puck asked, “Is something wrong?”

Sebastian looked at Puck, and then to Kurt, “Santana knows that I’m your Dom,”  Kurt’s eyes widened and Puck cussed under his breath. Seb continued, “She figured it out, just like Puck.  And then last night it was confirmed when she heard you call me ‘Sir’. I’m assuming it was in the car.” Kurt didn’t say anything.  “I told her she was right. There was no sense in denying it. I told her that Puck and Niff know. I asked her if she wanted to talk to the three of us, so we could answer any of her questions.  She seems okay with it, but she’s just worried. I’m leaving it up to you about how much we tell her. It’s also up to you whether or not Puck stays or goes back to the group.” Sebastian had grabbed Kurt’s hand and was stroking his knuckles with his thumb.

Puck nodded and looked at Kurt, not sure how he was going to handle this.  

“Okay.  Let’s go talk to her.  Puck stays. He’s a good buffer when it comes to Tana.”

The three of them entered the office together, and Santana’s eyes were instantly on Kurt.  Kurt looked at her and smiled sheepishly. “Hey, Tana.”

“Porcelain.  Are you okay?”  She stepped toward him and put her hand on his arm.

“It depends on what you’re talking about.  If you’re talking about last night, I’m getting there.  If you’re talking about Bas and I, I’m fantastic.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the leather couch.  

They sat and she said, “So did Seb tell you what I know?”

Kurt gave her a small smile, “He did.  I should have known that I couldn’t get anything past you or Noah.”

She chuckled, “No you can’t.  Are you sure this is what you want?  You’ve been hurt enough.”

All three boys eyes widened, and Sebastian quickly said, “No!  It’s not like that! I do not hurt him. Ever.”

She furrowed her brows, “So, no punishments?”

“No, Santana,”  Kurt said quietly.

“Then what do you do?  I mean, I get what it is, but if you’re leaving that out, I guess I don’t quite understand.”

Kurt sighed and leaned back, “Do you mind if Bas tells you?  I’m so tired.”

“Are you okay, Babe?”  Sebastian asked as he made his way to Kurt.  He squeezed into the space between Kurt and arm of the couch.  

Kurt turned slightly and laid his head on Sebastian’s chest, curling into his side,  “Yeah, I’m just tired. Being lost in my head is exhausting.”

Sebastian kissed his forehead and wrapped his arm around Kurt’s back, “I know, Baby.  I’ve got this.” He looked at Santana, “Every D/s relationship is different. Ours is more than just sexual.  It brings comfort and relief to both of us when we need it. He does kneel for me if I ask him to. Often he kneels on his own if he needs comfort or is offering comfort to me.  I do give him commands, which he always has the right to say no to. He has a safe word, and is in no way a slave to me. This is not a 24/7 thing. As we told Puck, everything we do has been agreed upon.  We have agreed not to include punishments for now. Neither of us are comfortable with that, nor do we feel it’s necessary. If we decide to add punishments one day, it will be agreed to by both of us.”

Puck looked at Santana, “Kurt asked for this.  It was his idea. I’ve seen it work for him. It’s something he needs, and Sebastian does not abuse it.  I’ve already threatened to kick Seb’s ass if he does.” They all smiled.

Sebastian said to Puck, “And I love you for that.”

“Okay,”  Santana looked at Kurt, “So, if it’s not 24/7, how do you know when he’s being your Dom, and when he’s not?

“His voice,”  Kurt said. He added, “He is nothing but loving toward me, Tana.  I need this. Last night...I would have been lost without this.”

She nodded, thinking it all over in her head.  

Puck added, “They don’t want everyone to know.  Can you imagine Finn trying to comprehend this?”  They all chuckled again.

“Yeah, okay. As long as you’re happy and safe.”

“I am, Tana.  I promise,” Kurt smiled softly at her.  

“Alright, well, if we’re all good, we better back to the group.  They’re going to start wondering where we snuck off to.” Sebastian stood, offering his hand to Kurt.  

They all moved out of the office and headed back to the group, hearing them singing ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ as they entered the room.  This time, Chris was actually singing along.


	31. Money and Muffins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian and Kurt discuss money, spring break, and New York.  
> Sugar and Kurt head to Dalton where they discover a few things, and people, that could change some things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos = LOVE

Everyone ended up staying at the Smythe’s home until after dinner.  They had a great New Year’s Day of singing, movies, talking, and of course, eating.  Sebastian was proud of Kurt for eating every meal, and told him so. He had been worried at breakfast that it would be an issue, given the events of the night before, but soon found that it wasn’t.  

Kurt ended up spending the night again after everyone else went home.  He and Sebastian were lounging in the media room. They had just finished the latest Marvel movie when Sebastian brought up Spring Break.  

“So, I know what I would like to do for Spring Break.  Hopefully you agree. Remember when I said I would look into it?,”  Sebastian grinned as he turned toward Kurt.

Kurt raised his eyebrows and perked up, “Yeah.  Where do you want to go?”

Sebastian said, “I’ll be right back.”  He returned just a minute later with a gift bag and handed it to Kurt.  Kurt looked confused, but opened it, pulling out a Mickey Mouse t-shirt.  He looked at Sebastian, questioning what it was all about. Sebastian smiled, “I want to take you to Walt Disney World!”

Kurt sat there staring wide eyed at Sebastian.  He didn’t say a word.

Sebastian raised his eyebrows and smiled, “Babe?”

Kurt narrowed his eyes at Seb, “Don’t mess with me, Bas.  You can’t joke about stuff like that.”

Sebastian chuckled, “I’m not joking.  I want to take you to Disney World.”

Kurt’s expression softened, “Are you serious?”

Sebastian huffed out a laugh, “I would never joke about Disney with you.”

Kurt’s face lit up, and then suddenly fell.  Sebastian frowned, “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to go?”

“Of course I do.  But it’s so expensive.  I need to save for collage.  I’ve been picking up extra shifts at the shop and everything.  I can’t spend that on a vacation. It’s irresponsible.”

Sebastian grinned, “Kurt, you wouldn’t have to pay.  It’s my treat!”

Kurt frowned and shook his head, “Do you know how expensive Walt Disney World is?  Super expensive. I can’t let you do that.”

Sebastian playfully rolled his eyes, “You can and will.  First of all, my family are DVC members, and-”

Kurt interrupted, “They’re what?”

“DVC.  It stands for Disney Vacation Club.  It’s like having a timeshare based on a points system, only it’s exclusively for Disney properties.  We went to a Disney park or resort at least once a year while I was growing up. We went to Disney Paris once while we were in France, but we haven’t used it in two years, so we have lots of points built up.  So all you need to do is decide where you want to stay. I can show you a list of our options.”

Sebastian pulled out his phone to show Kurt the resort choices, but Kurt put his hand over the phone and slowly pushed it down.  Sebastian looked at him and Kurt frowned, “Bas, even without worrying about the hotel, the park passes, food, flight...All expensive.”

Sebastian gave him a soft smile and placed his hand on Kurt’s leg, “Let’s go to my room.  We need to have a chat.” Kurt looked worried all of the sudden. Seb quickly added, “Nothing to worry about, Babe.  It’s nothing bad. I just want to get more comfortable, and then we’ll use my computer to look stuff up.” Kurt was visibly relieved.  

They made their way to Seb’s bedroom, where they quickly showered and got ready for bed.  Once they were settled, Sebastian took his laptop and set it on the nightstand so it would be ready when they needed it.  “Okay, Babe. We need to talk about money.”

Kurt gave a questioning look, “Okaaayy.  What about it?”

Sebastian said, “Well, I have lots of it.”  They both laughed, and then Sebastian continued, “Really though, I don’t think you understand how much money we have.”  

Kurt shifted in the bed.  He wasn’t exactly comfortable talking about this. “Bas, it’s none of my business how much money your family has.”

“Well, I’m not talking numbers with you right now.  But you do need to understand some of it, because it will have an effect on our future, and I plan on having you in my future for as long as you’ll have me.”  Sebastian reached for Kurt and grabbed his hand.

“I can’t imagine not wanting you in my life, Bas.  You are the most wonderful thing to have ever happened to me.”

Sebastian smiled, “I feel the same way about you, Babe.  I love you so much.” He leaned forward and kissed Kurt softly.

When they pulled apart Kurt whispered, “I love you, too.”

“So,”  Sebastian said, gathering his thoughts again, “about the money.  Both sides of the family are considered ‘old money’. You know this is a family estate on the Laurent side.  It’s been in the family a long time. My parents don’t have a mortgage payment… On any of the family residences.”  Kurt made a face like he was confused at the plural form of the word residence. How many homes did they own? “My grandparents, my parents, Leah and I, our children… None of us would have to work, ever.  But, that’s not how the Smythe’s or the Laurent’s do things, therefore all the earnings from high paying jobs simply get added to the total. Soooo...If I want to spoil my boyfriend with a trip to Disney World…”  Sebastian smiled.

“I don’t know, Bas.  I feel like I’m taking advantage.” Kurt was fidgeting.  

“And the fact that you aren’t automatically wanting to take advantage of our finances, is exactly why I want to spoil you even more.  You deserve all the happiness in the world, Babe. You’ve had quite a year. I want to take you to the happiest place on Earth, have fun, enjoy each other’s company.  Once we start college, we won’t know how easy it will be to do. Please, Babe.”

Kurt  bit his bottom lip and thought about it for a minute.  Looking at Sebastian and the hopeful, excited, look on his face was too adorable, and too hard to resist.  Kurt smiled, “Okay! I’m so excited!”

Sebastian smiled ear to ear, “Good!  I can’t wait!” He hugged Kurt and then kissed his boyfriend on the cheek, “There’s more.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow, “More?  How can there be more?”

“Yes more. Do you want to talk about it now, or do you want to choose a Disney resort?  We have to choose soon, so we can get out Fast Passes and Dining reservations taken care of before there’s nothing left available to choose from.”

“Well, I guess it depends on what the more is about…”

“New York.”

Kurt was intrigued, “Okay.  I guess let’s talk about the ‘more’ then.  What about New York?”

Sebastian shifted, hoping Kurt would be receptive to what he was about to say, “You said you wanted to live together in New York.  You still do, don’t you?”

Kurt nodded, “Yes, of course.  I’m really looking forward to it!”  They both smiled.

“Good.  Well… About one of the ‘other’ residences that the Smythes own.  One of them is a penthouse in Manhattan,” Kurt’s eyes widened, and Sebastian continued, “It’s ours to use if we want.”  

Kurt was speechless for a minute.  He finally said, “A penthouse. In Manhattan.  Living there. As freshmen in college…”

Sebastian didn’t know how to take that reaction.  He finally said, “Yes. Is that too much? We can look for other places.”

“I...I… I don’t know.  I mean, that’s….that’s just….Umm”  Kurt shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. “This is all so new to me.  I mean, I knew you had money. You go to Dalton and drive a corvette. Then I came here, and it was made abundantly clear.  Then you always paying for our dates, our weekend away. But now...Disney...And a penthouse?” Kurt looked like he was trying to comprehend it all, and Sebastian looked worried.  He wasn’t sure if Kurt thought this was good or bad.

“Babe, I’m having a hard time reading you.  Are you thinking this is good, or bad?” Seb questioned.

“Umm… I don’t know.  I mean, I guess it’s good that you have enough money that if anything happened, you’d be taken care of.  I love that we get to go to Disney World. But, I guess,” Kurt paused, trying to comprehend all of this, “when I pictured living in New York, I pictured either a dorm or a little shoebox studio apartment.  I guess I just need to get used to the idea? Maybe?”

Sebastian nodded, “I understand that.  How about we take a weekend soon and go to New York.  I can show you the penthouse, some of my favorite spots… Have you ever been?”

“No, but I would love that,”  Kurt smiled softly at Sebastian.  He looked at Seb’s lips and then leaned forward and kissed him softly.  “You know, you’re pretty amazing.”

“Yeah, well,”  Sebastian smiled, “Are you ready to look at resorts?”

“Yeah!.”  Kurt perked up and got really excited.  

Sebastian smiled and pulled his laptop onto his lap and pulled up the DVC site in one tab, and the Walt Disney World site in another.  “We are going to book a deluxe resort. You just need to decide which one you like best.” They looked at the options.

Kurt asked, “Do you have one you like best?  I mean, there’s so many to choose from. I don’t know where they’re located or anything. Are there pros or cons?”

“Well, I think since it’s your first time, one that’s on the monorail would be best.  It’s easier to get to the parks. What park are you most looking forward to? That might help us narrow it down.”

“Mmm, Magic Kingdom, I think.”  

“Okay, well, that would mean the best options would be, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, or Bay Lake Towers at the Contemporary.  But if there’s a different one that catches your eye, the deluxe resorts are all located close. Maybe with the exception being Animal Kingdom Lodge.”

Kurt thought about it.  They looked at pictures of each resort and watched some videos as well.  They finally decided on staying at the Polynesian. Kurt was so excited. “I can’t wait, Bas.”  He turned and looked at Sebastian, “Thank you for doing this for me.”

Sebastian stroked Kurt’s cheek with his hand, “You’re welcome, Babe.  You know, I’d do anything for you. I love you.” They kissed soft and sweet for a few minutes, before settling into bed, and finally falling asleep in each other’s arms.  

 

…………….

 

Sebastian returned to school on Monday night, with his classes starting the following day.  Kurt didn’t have to go back until Wednesday, so he planned on going to Dalton with Sugar for her meeting with Headmaster Larson.  She was excited about the possibility of selling her baked goods, but terrified at the same time. Having Kurt there would hopefully put her mind at ease.  It also helped that Kurt knew his way around Dalton.

Sugar picked Kurt up on Tuesday morning with coffee ready and waiting.  “Mmm, thanks, Sugar,” Kurt sighed as he took his first sip.

“You’re welcome, Angel.  Thanks for going with me.  I’m so nervous.”

“Don’t be.  Headmaster Larson is a very nice man, and your baked goods are out of this world, so there’s no reason to worry.”  Kurt paused, “Why didn’t Noah come? I’m surprised he isn’t getting all possessive with you going into an all boys school.”  He chuckled at the thought.

Sugar smiled, “I don’t think he’s too worried since you’ll be there with me.  Plus since we know several people there, that helps. I honestly think he’s worried that his appearance would be an issue.”

Kurt frowned, “What do you mean?”

Sugar shrugged, “You know, the mohawk rocker look in a private school…”

“Oh,”  Kurt thought about it for a minute, “I don’t think that would have made too much of a difference, but I can see where he would be self conscious about it.  That makes me sad, though.”

“Me too.  I love him just the way he is.  But I understand where he’s coming from.”

“So things are going well with you two?  I feel like we haven’t been able to talk in awhile, just the two of us.”  Kurt turned in the seat to face Sugar better.

“They’re great!,”  Sugar beamed. “He’s really wonderful.  He’s sweet, loving, protective. A lot like he is with you, but I get all the good ‘extras’.”  She wiggled her eyebrows.

Kurt laughed, “Well, at least you said the ‘extras’ are good.”

Sugar laughed in return, “Oh, trust me.  They are more than good.”

“I’m happy for you both, Sugar.  You’re both two of my favorite people.”

“Thanks, Angel.  Are things still great with you and Sebastian?”

“Wonderful,”  Kurt sighed wistfully.

Sugar giggled, “And the ‘extras’ are all good?”

“More than good,”  Kurt smiled. His smile faded a bit when it dawned on him that his best friend didn’t know everything, and Noah, Niff, and Santana did.  

Sugar noticed the change.  “Angel?”

“Hmm?”  Kurt snapped out of it.

“Where did you go?”

“Um, I was just thinking...I...I need to tell you something, Sugar.  It’s really personal, and private, but a few other people know, and I feel bad that my bestie doesn’t.”

“Angel, you don’t have to tell me just because other people know.”

“It will make me feel better,”  Kurt said and Sugar nodded, “I’m just going to graze over it, if you don’t mind.  Noah can explain more. He knows already.”

“Okay, Angel.”

“Well, Bas and I have a different kind of relationship.  He’s my Dom, Sugar.” He looked at Sugar to see if she was comprehending.  She was just looking straight ahead with her eyes on the road, so he continued, “I don’t know how much you know about D/s relationships, but they are all different.  I just want you to know that he is loving, kind, and all types of amazing. It’s something I need, and he’s happy to provide.” He hadn’t taken his eyes off of Sugar, and she wasn’t having much of a reaction. “Sugar?”

“Okay, Angel.”  She turned and glanced at Kurt before returning he eyes to the road, “I don’t know much about D/s relationships.  What I DO know is that I think Sebastian is perfect for you. He’s so good to you, and for you. If it were bad, then Puck would be having a fit.  If this makes you happy, then I’m all for it. But, I can’t promise that I’m not going to ask Puck a million questions,” She chuckled.

“Deal.”  Kurt smiled.

 

Kurt directed Sugar to the guest parking lot, and then helped her carry the boxes of samples that she brought for Headmaster Larson to try.  They climbed the stairs to the main entrance. Sugar took a deep breath and then let it out slowly, trying to calm her nerves.

“You’ll be great, Sugar.  Just be yourself. You’re hard not to love.”  Kurt put his hand on the small of her back and lead her into the building.

“This place is very intimidating,”  Sugar sighed.

“I know it is.  The building is grand, but the people are just people.  I promise it will be fine.”

As they entered the building and headed to the office, they were immediately be greeted by Mrs. Scott, the secretary, “Oh, Kurt!  It’s good to see you!” She stood and made her way around her desk. Mrs. Scott was in her 60s with short grey hair, and a warm smile.

Kurt smiled and as she hugged him, “Hi, Mrs. Scott!  How are you?”

“I’m great, dear.  How are you? Everything okay at school this year?,”  

“It’s fine.  I have a great support system now.”

She turned to Sugar, “You must be Miss Motta.”  She extended her hand.

Sugar shook her hand, “Yes, ma’am.  Please, call me Sugar.”

“Well, Sugar, Headmaster Larson is ready to see you.  Just head on in,” She smiled.

“Thank you, Mrs. Scott.  Can Kurt join me?”

“Whatever you want, dear.”

Sugar knocked on the Headmaster’s door and then opened it. She and Kurt entered to find a middle aged man with kind eyes and slightly greying brown hair.  He smiled at her and shook her hand, “Miss Motta! I’m Headmaster Larson, it’s so nice to meet you.”

“You too, sir.  Please, call me Sugar.”

“Mr. Hummel!,”  He shook Kurt’s hand, “It’s good to see you.  I hope you’re doing well.”

“Yes, sir.  Thank you.”

“Well, I was saddened to hear of the events that transpired at the beginning of the year.  If you need anything, please, let me know.”

“Thank you, sir.  Letting Bas, Nick, and Jeff out of school for the trial was enough.  I’m doing better now.”

“Good,”  He turned back to Sugar, “I see you come bearing samples?”  He smiled and raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, sir,”  She and Kurt set the boxes down on his desk and she opened the lids, “I brought muffins, breads, and cupcakes.  You are welcome to try whatever you like. Even save some for later maybe.”

“Oh my,”  He took a deep breath in through his nose, “They smell divine.”  He reached in and grabbed a banana nut muffin, and Sugar handed him a napkin.  He took a bite and his eyes widened, eyebrows shot to his hairline. He moaned, and Kurt winked at Sugar with a knowing smirk on his lips.  She bit her lip in anticipation. “Miss Motta, I have to say, this the best muffin I have ever eaten. When Sebastian and the other dozen Warblers told me how good they are, I thought they were exaggerating, or maybe just trying to do you a favor.  I was wrong. This is fantastic!”

Sugar beamed, “Thank you, sir!”

“If I understand correctly, you want to open your own bakery in New York?”

“Yes, sir.  It’s my dream.”  She and Kurt were both smiling ear to ear.

“Well, I have no doubt with the right business plan, you’ll be successful.  There’s no way people won’t snatch these up.  I’ll tell you what… You can sell whatever baked goods you’d like in both the cafeteria and the coffee shop here.  If you keep it hush-hush, I will let you keep all of the profits, with no commission. However, maybe once a week, I get a free muffin?” He smiled at her.

“Oh my goodness!  Thank you so much, Headmaster Larson!”

“My pleasure.  Literally,” He chuckled, “How about we start off with two or three days a week.  Would that be too much?”

“No, sir.  That would be fine.  I bake every night. I could have things here Monday, Wednesdays, and Friday’s.”

“Great!”  He turned to Kurt, “Why don’t you take her to the cafeteria and the coffee shop to let her see what she’s going to need.  Maybe talk to the cooks and barista’s. Take them a muffin to warm them up. I figured you’d want to stick around to see Sebastian anyway.” He winked.  
Kurt blushed a bit, “Yes, that would be lovely.  Thank you, sir.”

“Just ask Mrs. Scott of a day pass.  You can go wherever you like, except the dorm buildings.  Having a girl in the building might cause a stir, so stay away from classrooms during class time.  We need these boys concentrating.” He chuckled.

“No problem,”  Sugar smiled.

Headmaster Larson opened the door, “Mrs. Scott, why don’t you come choose a pastry and then write the two of them a day pass.”

“Of course, thank you.”  She chose a blueberry muffin and set it on her desk and then wrote them a pass.  

“Kurt, maybe you could take the rest of these to the teacher’s lounge.  I guess my waistline would appreciate if I shared the wealth.”

“Sure.”  Kurt and Sugar grabbed the two boxes and shook hands with both Headmaster Larson and Mrs. Scott.  After saying their ‘thank you’s’, they headed for the teacher’s lounge. As soon a they were around the corner, Sugar started bouncing up and down with muffled squeals.

“You did it, Sugar!  I’m so happy for you!”

“Oh my gosh, Angel.  I’m so excited. Let’s drop these off and then we can send a quick text to our men.”  They were both beaming, walking arm in arm down the empty halls of Dalton.

 

**To Puck:**

I did it!  He loved the banana nut muffin and is letting me sell in both the cafe and coffee shop… with NO commission!!!

**To Sugar:**

I knew you could do it!  I’m so proud of you, Sugar.  When you get home, we can celebrate ;)

 **To Puck** :

Can’t wait.  I love you.

**To Sugar:**

I love you too.

 

**To Bas:**

We’re here for the day.  Meet us in the student commons after class?

**To Kurt:**

Great!  Can’t wait to see you. Headmaster Larson liked the samples, right?

**To Bas:**

My lips are sealed….

 

Kurt and Sugar headed to the cafeteria first.  They spoke with the head cook, Sandy. She remembered Kurt, and was very sweet about helping Sugar.  She showed them the area that she thought would be best for the placement of the baked goods, and made suggestions for displays, offering any display pieces they had available.  Sugar told her she would get back to her by the end of the day to let her know what she thought she would need.

Their next stop was the coffee shop.  The barista, Jane, was impressed that Sugar was being allowed to sell things there.  They worked out where things would be placed, giving Sugar an idea of how many of each product would fit.  

Once they were finished they went back to Mrs. Scott to borrow some paper and a pen before heading to the student commons.  Back at the commons, they chose a table and set out to choose a menu, as well as calculate quantity needed. They decided on muffins, breads, and cupcakes for the cafeteria, and just muffins for the coffee shop.  She would have blueberry and banana nut muffins every week, but would rotate in some different flavors of the other products to keep things fresh, and customers coming back for more.

 

When the lunch hour came, students were filling in from everywhere.  All eyes were on Sugar. The whispers started, and word spread fast. Kurt leaned over, “Are you doing okay?  It must feel weird having everyone’s eyes on you.”

“Um, yeah, Angel.  I’m suddenly glad that Puck didn’t come.  I don’t think he would have liked this very much.”

Kurt chuckled, “I think you’re right.”  He placed a protective hand on her back.

A few students recognized Kurt and waved or said hello.  Another group of students seemed to be suspiciously hanging around doing nothing but staring for way too long.  Sugar was starting to get uncomfortable, until Cameron and Thad walked up. She was relieved to see people she knew.

“Hey guys!”, Thad said.  “Did you have a meeting with Headmaster Larson today?,” he asked as he gave both Kurt and Sugar a quick hug.  Cameron shook Kurt’s hand and smiled.

“We did!  I’ll have some treats available in the cafeteria and coffee shop starting next week!”

“That’s great!  Congratulations, Sugar.  I’m looking forward to it,” Thad said.

“Thanks, Thad.”  Sugar smiled.

“So, uh, you’re dating Puck, right?”  Cameron asked.  

“Yes, I am.”  

“I bet not being single makes you even more uncomfortable having all these eyes on you.  Do you want us to walk you somewhere?”

Kurt smiled, “That’s really thoughtful, Cameron, but Bas is meeting us here in a few minutes.”

“Alright, well, we’ll stick around until then.”  Cameron wasn't liking how so many guys were staring.

“That’s nice of you.  I’m sure Puck would appreciate it.  Do you guys want to join us for lunch?,”  Sugar asked.

“Sure!” Cameron smiled.

Nick and Jeff came walking through the doors of the commons.  Jeff squealed, “Sweets!” and ran to Sugar, picking her up and spinning her around.

“Jeffie!”  Sugar squealed back.  

“What did he say?!  What did he say?!” Jeff was bouncing up and down.  Nick, Kurt, Thad, and Cameron were cracking up.

“He said ‘YES’!  I start selling stuff here next week!”

“Congratulations!”  Jeff and Nick said at the same time.

Kurt smiled and looked around, “Where’s Bas?”

“He was talking to someone in the hall a few minutes ago,”  Trent said as he walked up to the group.

“Huh.  I’m going to go look for him,”  he turned to Nick and added, “Keep an eye on Sugar.  The sharks have been circling.”

“You got it!”  Nick smiled.

 

Kurt walked out into the hallway and immediately heard Sebastian’s voice coming from around the corner.

“Look, l told you, I’m not interested.”

“Why not?”  A second voice asked.

Kurt froze in his spot.  This didn’t sound good. He heard footsteps.

“Excuse me, I’m on my way to meet my _boyfriend_ ,”  Sebastian stressed.

“I’ve never seen you with any specific guy before.  He must not be that special.”

Sebastian practically growled, “He’s extremely special.  You wouldn’t have seen him with me because he doesn’t go to school here.”  Kurt could hear feet shuffling, “Look, if you step in front of me one more time, I’m-”

Kurt came around the corner, “There you are, Bas.  What’s taking so long?” He walked up to Sebastian and wrapped his arms around his waist, and then leaned up to kiss him on the cheek.

“Hi, Baby.”  Sebastian practically melted into Kurt’s embrace.  He leaned down and kissed him.

The guy cleared his throat.  When Kurt turned around, the guy had been checking out his ass with an eyebrow raised.

“Shawn, this is my boyfriend, Kurt.  Kurt, this is Shawn.”

Kurt put on his best smile and offered his hand to shake as Sebastian wrapped his arms around him from behind and gently squeezed. “It’s nice to meet you, Shawn.”

Shawn shook his hand firmly and said, “You were here last year.”

“I was,”  Kurt answered.  “Did we have a class together?”

Shawn said, “No, but I remember you were with Anderson.  You were pretty off limits.” Shawn looked Kurt up and down, and Sebastian could feel Kurt tense in his arms.

“He’s still is off limits.  So am I,” Sebastian growled.  He rubbed Kurt’s back, “Let’s go, Babe.  I’m sure Sugar is waiting.”

Kurt didn’t say anything.  Sebastian placed his hand on the small of Kurt’s back and lead him around Shawn.  As they reached the student commons, Sebastian asked, “Are you okay, Babe?”

Kurt nodded, “Are you?  What was his deal?”

“I’m fine.  I just met Shawn this morning at a soccer meeting.  He’s been coming on to me pretty strong all day. I’m glad you are here today, so he actually believes me when I say have a boyfriend.”

“Is he someone I should be worried about?  I really didn’t get a good vibe about him.”  Kurt looked at Seb and nervously bit his bottom lip.

Sebastian stopped and hugged Kurt, “You never have to worry about me with other guys, Babe.  I love you, and only you. As far as Shawn goes, I think he’s just mouthy. I’ll be fine.” He kissed Kurt on the forehead.  

They walked into the commons, and Sugar was there with Nick, Jeff, Thad, and Cameron.  She smiled when she saw Sebastian, and got up to give him a big hug, “He said ‘yes’, Seb!  Thank you so much for arranging all of this!”

“That’s great news!  Congratulations, Sugar!”  Sebastian smiled

“Let’s go eat, while we still have time.  Some of the guys are saving us seats,” Nick said as he ushered everyone toward the cafeteria.  

“Where were you guys?”  Jeff asked as they walked.

Sebastian sighed, “Shawn stopped me in the hallway.”

“Shawn Dunigan?”  Thad asked. “He’s bad news.  I’d stay clear of him.”

Kurt stiffened, and tightened his grip on Sebastian’s hand.  “I just met him this morning. Why is he bad news?” Sebastian asked.

“We dated Sophomore year.  He’s just handsy, mouthy, and arrogant.  I don’t think he’s dangerous or anything.  He’s just an ass. We only dated for like a month.  He wanted way more than I wanted to give him at the time,” Thad said as they got in line at the cafeteria.

“He didn’t push you, did he?”  Kurt asked.

“No, no.  Nothing like that.  I don’t know. He was just...a bit much for me.”  

“I didn’t know you’re gay.”  Kurt spoke softly to Thad.

“Well, I’m bi.  But I swing a little more to the gay side, I suppose.  I’ve never actually dated a girl.”

“Hmm…”  Kurt was deep in thought.

“Hmm?”  Thad gave Kurt a questioning look.  

“Well, are you single at the moment?  And if so, are you looking for a boyfriend, not just a date or two?”  

Thad elbowed him, “Gee, Kurt.  Sebastian’s crazy about you. Are you sure you want to see other people?”  He was laughing by the time he finished the question.

“Very funny,”  Kurt smiled, “We just have a friend who is single and looking.  He’s really nice, sweet, and totally adorable. Just ask Niff and Bas!  And Sugar!”

“Ask Niff what?,”  Jeff asked as he walked up behind them.

“Ask you about how adorable Chris is!”  Kurt bounced with excitement.

Jeff’s eyes lit up, “Oh my gosh!  You two would be so cute together!  And yes, he IS adorable. So sweet too.”

They all headed toward the group of Warblers who had saved them seats.  Sugar and Kurt were greeted warmly by everyone, and Sugar was congratulated over and over.  

“So, about this Chris guy…”  Thad said.

Sebastian was just now catching up on the conversation, now that they were seated. He looked at Kurt who was excited with the possibility of fixing up their friend.  “Show him a picture, Babe.”

“Oh yeah!  I have pictures from New Year’s Eve!”  Kurt got out his phone and scrolled through, finding a nice picture of the group.  He turned the phone toward Thad, “Look, this is him. You know everyone else.”

Thad’s eyes lit up and Kurt, Seb, Sugar, and Niff all smiled.  Thad cleared his throat, “Yeah… I don’t think ‘adorable’ is the word I would use to describe him.  He’s _hot_!”  They all laughed.

“So, are you looking for a relationship?  I don’t think he’d be interested if you weren’t.  Do you want us to fix you two up?  We could arrange something for just the two of you, or we could do a group thing, if you’re more comfortable with that.”  Kurt was so excited.

“Yeah, I would love to meet him.  I think a group thing might be good?”

“Sure!  We’ll come up with something and let you know.”  Kurt smiled, and Sugar was practically bouncing in her seat.  

Sebastian leaned over and whispered in Kurt’s ear, “Eat, Baby.  You haven’t touched a thing.”

Kurt didn’t say anything, he just opened his yogurt and began eating.  He ended up eating his yogurt, a small salad, and a banana. “Thank you,” Sebastian whispered as he rubbed Kurt’s back.

 

As they left the cafeteria Sebastian had Kurt on one arm, and Sugar on the other.  Again, all eyes were on them, especially Sugar. “I think maybe the entire school is jealous of me.  Both gay guys and straight guys.” The three of them laughed. “Are you guys headed home?”

“We have a few more things to tie up here first,”  Sugar smiled. “Then I thought maybe we could go pick up the things we need for the display cases and bring them back.  That way I’m all set for Monday.”

“Good idea, Sugar.  It will mean less stress for you Sunday night.”  Kurt was also excited that it meant he’d be around a little longer.

“Great.  Then maybe you guys can come to Warbler practice?”

“Bas, I don’t think the Warblers would appreciate the competition sitting in on their practice.”

Sebastian smiled, “Actually, Thad found out this morning that we aren’t competing against each other. We’re competing against Troy and Hilliard.  I bet you guys are competing with groups from further North. Mr. Schuester will probably tell you who tomorrow.”

Kurt bounced, “That’s great!  That means we could both be going to Nationals!”

 

Later that afternoon, Kurt and Sugar had bought everything Sugar would need for the displays.  They delivered everything to the cafeteria and coffee shop, and gave their final requests to Sandy and Jane.  They returned the borrowed supplies to Mrs. Scott, and then headed to the student commons to hang out for little bit before the end of school.  

They were leaning back against the couch when someone came up and sat across from them.  

“Hey, Thad!”  Kurt smiled.

“Hey.  So, I can’t stop thinking about Chris now! Tell me about him.”  Thad looked like a puppy who was told he was going to the park.

Kurt and Sugar giggled before Kurt said, “Well, we met a cheer leading competition, and-”  
Thad interrupted with wide eyes, “He’s a cheerleader?!”

Kurt laughed again, “Yes.  But for most squads, cheer is over.  He’s a base and spotter, so he’s strong.  He’s also a senior, so I don’t know if you’ll ever get the privilege to see him in all of his cheer glory.”  Thad looked a bit disappointed about not seeing him cheer, but Kurt continued anyway, “He’s really nice, sweet, and funny.  He goes to Urbana, where he’s only one of two out gay guys in his school. He asked us to keep an eye out for hot single guys….Soooo...”

Sugar added, “He’s been really supportive of Kurt’s situation too.  He has a good heart. He helped with Karofsky when Seb and Angel saw him at the mall.  Chris was protective of Kurt at the club, and he was helpful and understanding when Kurt ended up having a flashback on New Year’s Eve.”

Kurt was nodding, and then added, “Chris fits in with our group really well.  His only flaw is that he doesn’t sing.”  They all chuckled.

“Well, I would love to meet him.  He sounds great.”

“I’ll make sure it happens soon!”  Kurt smiled.

 

Kurt and Sugar headed into the Warbler rehearsal room with Thad.  Sebastian came in a few minutes later, smiling at Kurt. “Hey, Baby,”  he smiled as he leaned down to kiss his boyfriend.

“Hey Bas.  Can I have Chris’ phone number?  I want to text him about meeting Thad.”

“Sure, Babe.  Here,” he handed Kurt his phone, “just look him up.  I have to get ready to sing.”

Kurt looked up Chris’ number and entered it in his own phone.  He sent off a quick text to Chris before sitting back to watch his boyfriend and friends perform.

 

**To Chris:**

Hi Chris, this is Kurt.  I think I may have found you the perfect guy!

 

 


	32. The Fix Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Thad meet, and the night at the bowling alley gets pretty interesting. Kurt gets a letter from NYADA, and Burt finds out about the penthouse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just remember that my Rachel isn't as high strung as the one on the show.  
> I also wanted to clarify that the only main-ish characters that are not Seniors are Sam and Leah. The rest of the minor characters are in the same grades as on the show.  
> Comments and Kudos are welcome! Please lol!

**To Kurt:**

Awe, I’m honored that I get your number now ;)  I thought there were no other out gay guys at McKinley?

**To Chris:**

Actually, he’s a friend of ours from the Warblers at Dalton.  I just didn’t know he was gay until today. He’s actually bisexual, but has never gone out with a girl and likes boys more. He hasn’t dated anyone in the time I’ve known him, so I didn’t know.  BTW, Sugar will be selling her baked goods at Dalton!

**To Kurt:**

You’re full of good news today!  Tell her I said ‘Congrats’. So tell me more about this guy.

**To Chris:**

His name is Thad.  He’s a senior at Dalton, and is on the council of the Warblers.  Super nice and very cute. I showed him a picture of you from New Year’s and he thinks you’re ‘hot’.  So, are you game for us fixing you up?!

**To Kurt:**

Hmm, let’s see… You think he’s nice and cute….He thinks I’m hot...OF COURSE I’M GAME!!!  Just tell me when and where.

**To Chris:**

Lol, I was thinking we could do a group thing to introduce you two.  One of us will text you when we get something planned. Talk to you soon!

**To Kurt:**

Sounds good.  Thanks, Kurt!

 

Sugar and Kurt enjoyed watching Warbler rehearsal.  Kurt could never get enough of watching Sebastian sing and dance.  After watching them practice, he was glad they weren’t competing against them.  He wasn’t sure they could win against the Warblers. Sugar agreed, although neither of them let any of the Dalton boys know that.  

 

After rehearsal, Sebastian took Kurt and Sugar out to dinner to celebrate Sugar’s deal with Dalton.  Puck met them at the restaurant, where he showered Sugar with hugs, kisses, and flowers. After discussing Sugar’s deal with Dalton,  they discussed different ways they could set up Thad and Chris, and decided that a group of them could go bowling together. That way Chris and Thad could talk, but also interact with others if things got too awkward.  After a few texts to Chris, Thad, Niff, Santana, and Brittany, the date was set for the following Saturday.

Kurt squealed with excitement, “Yay!  I hope they really like each other. They are both so sweet and deserve to be happy.”

Sebastian smiled and kissed Kurt on the cheek, “You just want everyone to be as happy as the four of us.”

“Of course!  Well, at least the people I like anyway,”  he chuckled.

 

……………….

 

The rest of the week went really quickly.  Cheerios practice started back up, along with Glee Club practice.  Kurt had a feeling that January was going to be a crazy busy month.  But, he figured the busier he was, the faster time went, and that meant that spending spring break with Sebastian in Disney World was just around the corner.  

Saturday morning, Burt came into the kitchen where Kurt was fixing coffee, “Hey, kiddo.  You’ve got mail.” He handed Kurt an envelope from NYADA.

Kurt’s eyes widened and he gasped.  Burt chuckled, “Are ya gonna open it?”

“Umm…”  Kurt hadn’t taken his eyes off of the envelope.  

Burt smiled and shook his head, “Are you going to open it?  Do you want to wait for Sebastian?” Kurt still said nothing and was staring at the envelope, so Burt continued, “You can open it at his house if it want, kid.  As long as you call me right away, I don’t mind.”

A few seconds later, Kurt snapped out of it, “Huh?  Uh, I want to open it with Bas. Are you sure that’s okay?  Maybe he can come here.”

“Whatever you want to do, Kurt.”

Kurt nodded, and then left the room.  He called Sebastian right away.

 

“Hey, Babe.  Excited about tonight?”

“Hmm?  Oh. Yeah, I am.  But, uh, my letter came, Bas.  The one from NYADA.” Kurt took a deep calming breath.

Sebastian perked up even more, “Really?!  What does it say?”

“Um, I haven’t opened it yet.  I’m nervous… And I want to open it with you.  Do you think you could come over? I also want to open it with Dad too.”

“Sure, Babe.  When would like me?  We can always go to the bowling alley straight from your house.”

“How about you come over for lunch.  Is that okay?” Kurt sounded so nervous.

“Of course, Babe. You know, it’s going to be okay no matter what the letter says.  One way or another, you’re getting out of Lima, and headed to New York this Fall.”

Kurt sighed, and then said, “You’re right.  If they don’t want me to audition, I have other options.  We’re going to New York no matter what.”

“Right.  Okay, I’ll see around noon, okay Babe?”  Sebastian was glad Kurt was starting to sound a little more sure of himself.  

“Okay, Bas.  I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

 

Knowing how anxious Kurt was, Sebastian made sure to be a few minutes early to lunch.  Once he got there, everyone gathered in the living room. Kurt was pacing the floor.

“What are you going to do with all of those nerves when you receive your letter telling you if you got in or not?”  Finn asked. Kurt just glared at him.

“Okay, Babe.  Come sit with me.  Waiting isn’t going to change what it says on the inside. Open it.”  Sebastian was trying to be reassuring and nudge him to open it without using his Dom tone.  He was hoping it would work.

Kurt took a deep breath, nodded his head, and then joined Sebastian on the couch.  He carefully opened the envelope while everyone watched, and then began reading. He eyes grew big, and his smile grew bigger, “They want me audition!”

Everyone cheered, and Sebastian said, “Of course they do!  I’m so proud of you, Babe.” Sebastian grabbed him and pulled him into a big hug.

Burt and Carol smiled at the boys.  Burt was confident that Kurt would get in.  He suddenly realized that he wasn’t nearly as worried about Kurt being in New York as he once had been, and that had everything to do with Sebastian.  Kurt would have someone there who loved him, protected him, and someone who happy with Kurt’s successes.

Kurt and Sebastian settled back into the couch.  Kurt looked over at his dad and raised an eyebrow, “What is that look for, Dad?”

Burt grinned, “I’m happy for you, kiddo.  I’m also just realizing that the two of you are going to New York _together,_ which means I might be able to escape a second heart attack.”

Sebastian smiled at that and then he and Kurt looked at each other, wondering if now was a good time to bring up the penthouse.  “No time like the present,” Sebastian whispered.

Kurt nodded and then looked at his dad, “Um, Dad… About New York…”  Burt looked at him like he was about to get horrible news, so Kurt continued quickly, “The Smythe’s…”  He looked at Sebastian trying to find the best way to word it.

Sebastian rubbed his back and whispered, “Just say it like it is, Babe.”

Kurt looked at his dad and then said, “The Smythe family owns a penthouse in Manhattan.  Robert and Tori have offered to let Sebastian and I live there.”

Burt and Carol’s eyebrows shot up, and Finn and Sam both said, “Woah,” at the same time.  

Sebastian said, “Kurt isn’t sure how he feels about it, since it isn’t exactly how he pictured his life in New York.  At least, not his first few years. I’d like to take him to New York for a weekend. We could stay in the penthouse, see the neighborhood and explore the city...I want to live with Kurt whether he wants to live in the penthouse or not.  I’ll find us another place if he wants.”

“I’m assuming the penthouse has security?”  Burt asked.

“It does.  That’s my main motivation for wanting us to stay there.”  Sebastian and Burt were looking at each other, speaking without words.

Kurt looked at them both, “Why is that so important?  I’m not fragile flower!” He was aggravated by that.

Finn piped up, “Dude, I hate to break it to you, but New York is not the safest city in the world.”

Kurt glared at him, and Sebastian added, “It’s not that we don’t think you can take care of yourself, Babe. But what would a little extra security hurt?  Besides, in a few years, it will definitely make you feel better.” Nobody in the room needed to verbalize that Sebastian was alluding to when Blaine got out of prison.  The face Kurt made was one of realization. Sebastian was right.

“I guess I see what you mean,”  Kurt said quietly.

Sam added, “And by then, you’ll have lived there for a long time, meaning you’ll be comfortable with the building, the neighborhood, the people.”

“I think it’s a great idea.  How many people get this opportunity, Kurt?”  Carol asked.

“I agree.  You and Sebastian living together makes me feel better about this whole New York thing, but living in a nice neighborhood in a place that has security is even better,”  Burt said.

“And it would save you money,”  Sebastian added, looking at Kurt. “The penthouse sits empty nearly all the time now.  It would still be sitting empty if you want us the live somewhere else. And there’s room for our families to stay when they come visit.”

Kurt smiled a small smile, “Okay.  I’d still like to see it, but I feel a bit better about it now.”

“Okay, I’m going to get lunch on the table.  Give me five minutes. Wash up everyone!” Carol smiled.

 

“So what are your plans today?”  Burt asked the boys as they sat eating lunch.

Kurt lit up, “We’re playing Cupid!”  Sebastian smiled at how adorable is boyfriend was when he got this excited.

“What?  With who?”  Sam asked.  It seemed like he was their only single friend, so he was curious.

“We’re fixing Chris up with Thad!”  Kurt was practically bouncing in his seat.

“Thad’s a nice guy.  Are you going on a double date?”  Finn asked.

“No, we’re going bowling as a group.  Do you guys want to go? The more the merrier.”  Kurt looked to Finn and Sam. “You can bring Rach, if you want, Finn.”  

“I’ll ask her.  She seemed to like Chris.  I’m sure she’ll say ‘yes’.”

“How about you, Sam?”  Sebastian asked.

“Sure, I’d love to.  I need to do something fun.”  Sam smiled.

 

Later that evening, everyone began arriving at the bowling alley, and Chris was so nervous that he felt like he was going to throw up.  

“Chris, you’ll be fine.  You look great, and Thad is super nice.  Even if you don’t hit it off as a couple, you’ll at least be leaving here with a new friend,”  Kurt smiled at Chris, trying to reassure him.

Chris nodded, “Yeah, okay.”  

Sebastian clapped him on the back and smiled, “He’s right, Chris.  You’ll know everyone here except Thad. There’s plenty of people to talk to if you’re not feeling like you and Thad are a good match.”

Chris nodded, “Okay,” he sighed, “I’m going to run to the restroom quick.”  

Chris went to the restroom, looked at his reflection in the mirror and sighed.   _You can do this_ , he thought.  As he left the restroom, his focus was on the floor, putting one foot in front of the other, when he suddenly ran right into someone, sending them both stumbling backwards a step or two.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,”  Chris said apologetically.

“No problem,”  Thad said before even looking up.  A second later, he looked up and instantly recognized Chris from the picture Kurt had shown him.  He chuckled, “Chris?”

Chris’ eyes widened, “Oh,” he chuckled too, “Probably not the best first impression, huh?”  He smiled despite himself.

Thad smiled, and Chris thought his heart would melt right there in the middle of the bowling alley.  “Well, I can think of worse ways to meet a handsome guy,” Thad said, chuckling again.

Chris blushed and offered his hand to shake, “Chris Carnes.  It’s nice to meet you.”

Thad shook his hand, “Thad Meyer.  It’s nice to meet you too.”

 

Kurt had seen the entire event unfold and was smiling eat to ear.  He leaned over to Sebastian, “Well, they met,” He laughed.

“That’s one way to do it,”  Sebastian smiled.

 

Everyone was bowling in two lanes, side by side.  Kurt was up next and Sebastian couldn’t take his eyes off of him.

“You’re drooling, Seb,”  Sugar whispered in Sebastian’s ear.

“Mmm,”  Sebastian groaned, “I can’t help it.  Look at him…” Sugar giggled and Puck smiled and shook his head.  “Watch. He does this little wiggle with his ass before he bowls.”  As if on cue, Kurt did a little wiggle, “Mmm,” Seb groaned again, and the three of them laughed quietly. Kurt got a strike, and did a little celebration before returning to the group.  He came back and sat on Sebastian’s lap, and Seb wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. “How are you so good at this, Babe?”

“Mr. Howard, the guy who owns this place, is friends with Dad.  When I was younger, they used to be on a league together, and since there was nobody at home to watch me, I came along.  Mr. Howard would open a lane for me to play while the adults played their games. That’s actually how I met Artie. His dad was in the league too.  We used to bowl together.”

“I shouldn’t be surprised.  It’s just one more thing you’re good at.  Was Artie in a wheelchair then?”

“No.  Well, not the first couple of years.  He and his dad were in a car accident.  They were hit by a drunk driver.”

“Oh, wow.  That’s so sad.  Was his dad okay?”

“Physically, yes.  Their car was hit on Artie’s side.  But I think he still struggles with it mentally to this day.”  Sebastian nodded that he understood.

Kurt turned and kissed Sebastian on the cheek before sitting down next to him.  Sebastian whined at the loss of his boyfriend from his lap. “Why?” Sebastian playfully whined.

“Because we’re still in Lima, technically.  And we’re already getting looks from that group down there.”  Kurt answered quietly.

Sebastian looked down at the group, “The looks don’t bother me, Babe.  Not being able to be close to you does.”

“You’re turn, Seb,”  Puck said as he walked back to the group.

Sebastian stood, but turned back toward Kurt and kissed him passionately.  He cupped his face, looked him in the eye, and said, “If someone doesn’t like the way I love my boyfriend, or the way my boyfriend loves me, they can kiss my ass.”

Kurt grinned and nodded.

 

Chris and Thad had been in a steady flow of conversation since they met.  Thad was loving Chris’ sense of humor, and Chris was loving Thad’s dimples that showed every time he laughed.  The flirting was relentless between the two, and there wasn’t a single person in the group that thought this wasn’t a good match.  

Sebastian went to get some drinks and Thad soon joined him.

“How’s it going?”  Sebastian asked.

“Great!  He’s hot as hell, and hilarious.  Thanks for arranging this.” Thad was all smiles.

“Thank Kurt.  This was all him.”  Sebastian turned around and looked back at the group, leaning on the counter behind him.   

“You really love him, don’t you...”  It was more of a statement than a question.

“More than anything.  I love this entire group.  I never thought I’d have anything like this. I certainly never thought I’d have anyone like him.”

“He’s good for you.  I mean, I don’t know what you were like before him, but I can tell, he’s good for you.”

“You have no idea,”  Sebastian grinned.

 

While Sebastian and Thad were getting drinks, Jeff asked Chris, “So are things going okay?”

Chris smiled, “Yeah, I really think they are.  He’s really sweet. And hot.” Chris, Jeff, and Nick all smiled.

“He’s a great guy.  A great leader. A great friend.  I’m glad you two are getting along.”  Nick grinned.

“Me too.”

 

Everyone was gathered around some tables at the bowling alley that they had pushed together.  They had ordered a few pizzas and more drinks. Everyone was enjoying each others company and having a good time.  

Finn said from across the table, “Kurt, tell everyone your news!”

Kurt choked on his drink a bit and blushed.  “Finn!”

“Whatever, Porcelain.  You know we’ll all find out eventually.  You might as well tell us all at once,” Santana smirked.  She had such a way with words.

Kurt rolled his eyes, “So true.  I can’t keep anything from you guys.  Even when I try.” He cleared his throat, “Well, NYADA wants me to live audition!” Cheers erupted at the news with lots of words of encouragement.  

Rachel got up and went over to Kurt and practically jumped into his arms.  She pulled back and looked at him with tears in her eyes, “ME TOO!” Another round of cheers and congratulations came for Rachel.  

“Rach, why didn’t you say something earlier?!”  Kurt asked.

“Same reason as you?  And I didn’t know if you got a letter or anything.  I didn’t even tell Finn. As he just proved, he can’t keep his mouth shut.”  They both giggled.

“Well, congratulations, Rach.”  They hugged.

Rachel pulled him aside so they could speak in private, “This time next year, we could be in New York!  We should live together!” Rachel was too excited.

“Rachel, I’m going to be living with Bas.  I’m going to New York no matter what. Apparently Finn just forgot, because he already knows,”  he looked at her apologetically and tried to lighten the blow.

“We could _all_ live together!  It will lower the rent.  New York is so expensive.”  Rachel looked with pleading eyes.

“We kind of already have something lined up for the two of us.  Sorry, Rachel.”

“Already?”

“Well, Bas’ family already owns a place there.  We’re most likely going to stay there. We’re going to fly in for a weekend after Cheer Nationals so I can see it.”  Kurt smiled softly at her.

She smiled back, “Okay.  Well, just so you know, I’m really happy for you, Kurt.  You deserve this. And you deserve someone like Sebastian too.”

Kurt hugged her one more time, “Thanks, Rachel.  That means a lot.”

 

They were all cleaning up their plates and cups when Kurt heard a familiar voice, “Kurt Hummel?  Is that you?”

Kurt turned and smiled, “Mr. Howard!  How are you!?” He hugged the large, burly, man.  He looked like he could be Burt’s long lost brother.

“I’m fine, kid.  How are you? And how is your dear ol’ dad?”

“We’re both great,”  Kurt smiled and then turned toward Sebastian, “Bas!” he motioned for him to come over.  When Sebastian reached him, Kurt took his hand, “Mr. Howard, this is my boyfriend, Sebastian Smythe.  Bas, this is Mr. Howard.”

Sebastian shook his hand and smiled, “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Howard.  From what I hear, it’s thanks to you that Kurt kicked my butt, well, everyone’s butt, during the last game.”

Mr. Howard laughed, “He’s a natural.  Don’t let him fool you with stories of long nights with lots of practice.”  He looked back to Kurt, “I saw that group down there giving you all the stink eye.  If they give you any trouble, let me know. I have no problem kicking them out.”

Kurt smiled, “Thanks, Mr. Howard.  We’re used to the looks, I guess. I’ll let you know if anything else happens.”  

“Alright, well, it was good to see ya, Kurt.  You tell your dad I said hello, and not to be a stranger.  He can bring that pretty wife of his in and we could catch up.”

“I’ll let him know, Mr. Howard.”

“See ya around, kid,”  Mr. Howard said as he made his way behind the concessions counter.  

Sebastian turned to Kurt, “He reminds me so much of Burt, it’s crazy.”

“Yeah, they’re cut from the same cloth.”  

Sebastian spoke quietly, “Hey, was everything okay with Rachel?”

“Yeah.  She wants us all to live together in New York.  Apparently, Finn actually kept his mouth shut, so she had no idea.  I told her your family already owns a place there, and we would likely be moving in there, just you and I.  She took it okay, I guess.” Kurt shrugged.

“Are you sure that’s what you want?  I don’t want to keep you from moving in with your friends, and living the life you always pictured in New York.”  Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hand and ran his thumbs over his knuckles.

Kurt didn’t like that it sounded like Sebastian was questioning if he was sincere. He needed to comfort and reassure his boyfriend. “Fuck,”  he breathed as he closed his eyes and fidgeted a bit.

Sebastian ran his hand down Kurt’s cheek.  Kurt leaned into Sebastian and rested his forehead on his chest.  Sebastian ran his fingers through the back of Kurt’s hair at the nape of his neck.  “Talk to me, Baby.”

Kurt took a deep breath and whispered, “I’m trying to control myself.  All I want to do right now is kneel for you. I want it so bad, Sir.”

Sebastian took Kurt by the hand and lead him to a part of the bowling alley that didn’t have anyone in it.  They could still be seen, but not heard. He used his Dom tone, “Stay standing. Feet shoulder width apart, hands behind your back, and head bowed.  Now.”

“Yes, Sir,” Kurt answered immediately as he did what he was told.  He took a cleansing breath and let the calm wash over him. He still wished he could kneel, but this was the next best thing.  

“Thank you, Baby.  You are always so good for me.”  Sebastian ran his fingers through the sides of Kurt’s hair down to the the back.  “Tell me what you need, Beautiful.”

“I need you to know, Sir.  I need you to know that _you_ are who I want.  Not my friends. Not an apartment, dorm, or penthouse.   _You_ , Sir.  I would give everything I have, and everything I am, just for you, Sir.  Always.”  A tear ran down Kurt’s cheek.

“So beautiful,”  Sebastian whispered with a voice dripping with affection as he cupped Kurt’s face, “Always so perfect for me.”  He kissed Kurt slowly, full of love and passion. “I love you so much, Baby. All I want is for you to be happy.”’

“ _You_ make me happy, Sir,”  Kurt said with nothing but love in his eyes.

“I would never want you to give up _anything_.  Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Okay.  You and I are moving into the penthouse this Fall.  I want to keep you safe, and that’s our best option.  It’s also the smartest decision, financially speaking.  I will still take you to see the penthouse and the neighborhood.  I think you’ll like it, but if you absolutely hate it, I will get us another place.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt felt so loved.  This beautiful man standing in front of him loved him.  Adored him. He only wanted his happiness and safety, and was willing to do whatever it took to get that.  His eyes filled with tears of joy.

“Baby, why are crying?”  Sebastian had a small sliver of doubt that this wasn’t what Kurt wanted.  Kurt’s happiness was so important to him, and he didn’t want Kurt agreeing just because he felt it was what his Dom wanted.

“I just love you so much.  Sometimes I feel like you are part of some elaborate dream, and I’m going to wake up any minute.”

Sebastian wrapped his arms around Kurt, and Kurt let himself hug back.  “I love you too, Baby. More than anything.”

 

Both Puck and Nick had noticed when the boys went off to talk.  They knew exactly what was happening because of the way Kurt was standing.  

“I hope everything is okay,”  Nick said.

“I’m sure it is.  It probably started with Rachel.  She can be a bit overwhelming sometimes,” Puck answered.  

They were silent for a minute, and then Nick sighed as he looked back at them, “Sometimes I’m jealous of them.”

Puck frowned, “Really?  You and Jeff seem perfect for each other.”

“Oh, we are.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Jeffie more than anything. But the whole D/s thing is hot as fuck.”  He chuckled and Puck smiled.

“Yeah, I know what you mean.  Would Jeff go for that?”

“I doubt it.   _Maybe_ in the bedroom a little.  But not like what they have.”  He paused, “Would Sugar? I mean, you seem kind of like a natural Dom, like Sebastian is.”  

Puck smirked, “I don’t know.  Seb and I _are_ a lot alike.  Princess has even mentioned that. And he and Sugar are a lot alike too, but I’m not sure she would go for that.  I don’t think she _needs_ it, like Princess does.  Honestly, before Anderson, I’m not sure he would have even considered this.  I could be wrong, I don’t know. And I definitely don’t think he would consider it with anyone but Sebastian.  It’s all just the right combination to make it work.”

Nick nodded, “Yeah, I think you’re right.  They’re very lucky.”

“They are.”

 

Sam was talking with Brittany when he heard someone come up behind him.

“So did your girlfriend dump you, or is she off slumming it with someone else?”  Mack sneered.

Brittany instantly went to go get Santana and Finn, who were talking with Rachel.  Sam turned around and said, “Not that it’s any of your business, but, YES we’re still together.  Slumming it or not, she’s happy. So. Back. Off.”

Mack had gotten in Sam’s face, and the rest of the group had noticed, including Sebastian and Kurt, who quickly made their way back to the group. Sebastian looked at Chris, who was looking at him for a sense of what was going on, and motioned to Kurt. Chris nodded that he understood. In a weird way, he felt honored.

Sebastian, Puck, and Finn all gathered next to Sam. Everyone else stayed right behind them.  Chris and Jeff made sure to keep Kurt further back. Jeff knew what Mack had done to Kurt, and was not going to let him anywhere near him. He made sure Chris knew who it was that was messing with Sam and why.  Sugar stood next to Jeff, holding onto his arm.

“Dude, you really are stupid,” Finn growled.  He motioned to everyone around them, “Kind of outnumbered.”  Mack was only there with a couple of friends. He just shrugged.

“Haven’t you learned your lesson yet?”  Puck asked.

“Hmm.  Well, all I know is that since you all have made it so hard for me to get what I used to get so freely,”  He looked over to Kurt and Sugar, “Maybe I just need to start _taking_ what I want.”

Sebastian got in Mack’s face, “If you touch him, or anyone else that I love, again… I swear to God you will live to regret it.”

As soon as Kurt saw Sebastian move toward Mack, he started to run over to him, only to be pulled back by Chris.  Chris wrapped his arms around Kurt’s waist and held him tight to his side, “Let them handle it, Kurt.”

Kurt shook his head and Jeff grabbed his hand, trying to anchor him.  

Mack had the nerve to smirk in Sebastian’s face, and it took Finn and Puck both to hold Seb back.  “We’ll see,” Mack hissed, and then turned with his friends and walked out.

“Fuck!”  Sebastian ran his hands through his hair.  

“We’ll take care of him, Seb,”  Sam said, trying to reassure him that Kurt would be okay.  “We won’t let him out of our sight.”

Sebastian took a deep breath and nodded, “I know.  It’s not just him I’m worried about.” He looked at Puck.  “Keep an extra eye on Sugar too. All the girls for that matter.”

“He’d better be more bark than bite, because I’ll rip his dick off if he touches her,”  Puck growled.

As soon as Mack was out the door, Sebastian and Kurt went to each other, and Puck and Sugar did the same.  They held on like their lives depended on it.

“God, if he fucking touches you…” Sebastian whispered.  He wanted to so badly to take Kurt away somewhere and never return.

Kurt didn’t say anything in return, he just tightened his grip.  

They all sat back down, trying to comprehend what happened.  They had no idea what Mack would do, but he certainly didn’t seem like he was going to leave them alone any time soon.

“What did he say to you, Sam?”  Sebastian asked.

Sam looked at Sebastian and sighed as he looked down at his lap, “He wanted to know if Leah dumped me or if she was slumming it with someone else.  I told him we’re still together.”

“You know that’s total bullshit right?  The whole ‘slumming it’ thing?” Sebastian was pissed.

Sam shrugged his shoulders, “I guess.  I mean, I was homeless. You guys live in a mansion.  She’s way out of my league.”

Sebastian shook his head, “You know we aren’t like that.  As far as my family is concerned, there are two leagues. Worthy...or not worthy.  I already told you what league I think you’re in.”

Sam was looking at his lap and smirked as he raised his eyes to Sebastian, “Good.  Because I kissed your sister on New Year’s.”

Everyone chuckled, and Kurt nearly spit out his drink.  Sebastian leaned back and crossed his arms, with a smirk of his own spreading across his face.


	33. Mack Attack Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title of chapter says it all. I'm sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cried writing this. Keep in mind that this is only part one. Nothing is tied up or solved, and I am aware of that. It's short, but I couldn't let it sit while I tried to keep going, so I decided to post this in sections that are shorter instead on one longer chapter.  
> If you haven't read Chapter 32, please do that first!  
> I've passed the 150 kudos mark! My goal is 200, so if you enjoy my story, please leave a kudos for me! I LOVE comments. They help inspire me!

Monday was hard on Sebastian.  He was worried about Kurt, Sugar, and his New Direction friends.  He met Sugar in the cafe to help her with her first delivery of her yummy treats.  

“This will be a huge hit, Sugar.  Just wait and see,” he told her.

“I hope so.  Thanks for helping on my first day.  I’m so nervous.” She sighed and paused what she was doing.

He smiled at her reassuring her.  “You shouldn’t be. I think the Warblers alone could buy you out.”  They both chuckled. After a couple of minutes, he got serious, “Sugar, promise to be careful at school today, okay?  I’m worried about Mack. That look in his eyes Saturday...”

She smiled softly at him, “We’ll be fine, Seb.  We’re all pretty used to it, unfortunately.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better, Sugar.”

“Sorry.  You know the guys are going to be watching out for us.  It will be okay. I have to go, or I’ll be late.” She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.  He hugged her tight before she got in her car and left.

He knew that Mack was dangerous after the threat at the bowling alley. The look he had in his eyes when he looked at Kurt and Sugar really ate at Sebastian.  Apparently, the rumors the Cheerio’s started about him and the locker checks weren’t enough. He was hoping that the worst of it had been when he was drunk that night at Mandy’s house, but the way he looked at Kurt and Sugar was just too much.  

He  couldn’t take it anymore and texted Kurt in the middle of the morning classes.  

**To Babe:**

Is Mack leaving everyone alone?  I’m worried about you.

**To Bas:**

Everything is fine.  All of the girls have a guy staying with them all day, and Sam has assigned himself to me (Insert eyeroll here).

**To Babe:**

I know that it bothers you sometimes, but it’s for your own good.  Please just let him stick by you. I love you, and don’t want anything to happen to you.

**To Bas:**

I love you too.  I promise to be good.

 

After the bell rang, Kurt was waiting outside the classroom for Sam to show up so he could walk him to class.  He was looking down the hallway to see if he could see Sam, but he spotted Sugar, and she was by herself, turning to go down a different hall.  He didn’t see Sam anywhere, so he rushed up to be with Sugar. He didn’t want her being alone.

“Sugar, why are you alone?  I thought we agreed that all the girls would be walking with one of the guys today?”

“Because, Angel, my class is right down the hall, and I didn’t want to wait on anyone.  I’ll be fine. Besides, you’re supposed to have someone with you, too.” Sugar looked at him as if to challenge him.

“Alright, alright.  I was waiting on Sam when I saw you alone.”

Sugar sighed, “Fine.  Well, my classroom is right there, so you get to class, pronto, before you’re late.”

“Okay.  Love you, Sugar,”  Kurt sing-songed and then kissed her on the cheek.

“Love you too, Angel,”  she smiled.

Kurt turned around to walk back to class.  He was nearly at the end of the hall when he heard something that bothered him.  He couldn’t quite place it, but it made him freeze in his tracks. He stayed put and listened for it again.

 

Just before Sugar had gotten to her classroom, she was yanked into a nook where the janitor’s closet was.  She was slammed against the door as Mack’s hand wrapped around her throat. He whispered in her ear, “Don’t make a sound.  Remember how I said I was going to have to take what I want? Lucky for the fag, I don’t swing that way. But you on the other hand…”  he licked the shell of her ear, “You’ve got a nice little ass on you.” He ran his hand up the back of her thigh and under her miniskirt, groping her ass.  She squealed, starting to scream, when he put his hand over her mouth and slammed her head against the door again, “I said be quiet!”

He opened the door to the small closet and shoved her inside, where her back hit a shelving unit, making bottles of cleaner fall to the floor.  “No! Stop!” She yelled as she tried her best to hit and kick him enough to get away.

 

Kurt heard a yell, so he dropped his books and ran towards Sugar’s classroom.  The bell had rung, so she should be there. When he got to the class, Sugar wasn’t anywhere to be seen.  He went back into the hallway and looked around, trying to hear anything he could. There was another rustling sound coming from the closet.  When he opened the door, he saw Mack holding Sugar’s arms behind her back with one hand, pressing her against the wall. The other hand was covering her mouth as he was grinding up against her backside.  “Get off of her!” he yelled as he grabbed Mack by the shoulders, pulling Mack backwards.

Mack drew his hand back like he was ready to punch him, but Kurt was faster.  He punched Mack in the jaw, sending him back into the wall. Sugar grabbed Kurt and pulled him out of the closet, but Mack followed, even more pissed off than before.

Mack punched Kurt, sending him to the ground.  He covered his eye in pain. Sugar ran to Kurt to help him up, but Mack shoved her, sending her against the wall, where she hit with a thud, her head slamming into the wall, and then she slid down to the ground.  

Kurt got to his feet.  He wasn’t sure how, but he assumed it was adrenaline.  He couldn’t stand Mack, and seeing him assault his best friend had pushed him past his limit.  He charged at Mack, and in quick succession, slugged him in the eye, “Don’t,” then the jaw, “fucking,”  and finally the stomach, “touch her!”

Kurt turned around to help Sugar who was still slumped on the floor.  Suddenly he was pressed with his chest against the wall. Mack spat in his ear, “I touch what I want.  I won’t let your boyfriend forget that.” He was pulled Kurt’s head back, and slammed it into the wall.  Everything went black. His phone laid on the ground next to him with two new text alerts.

**From Sam:**

Where were you?  Teacher wanted to talk for a minute, and when I got there you were gone.  Are you okay?

**From Noah:**

Someone said Sugar isn’t in class.  Have you heard from her?

 

Sebastian was in Calculus bouncing his leg up and down as he tapped his pencil.  He had his phone out on his desk, and kept checking it every minute to see if he missed a text.  

“Sebastian, chill out.  You’re so anxious, you’re making ME anxious,”  Thad huffed.

“Sorry.  I just don’t have a good feeling.  I’m nervous that asshole is causing trouble.”

“It’ll be okay.  The guys are helping out, I’m sure,”  Cameron tried to reassure him. Thad had told him all about what happened Saturday at the bowling alley.

“Yeah,”  Seb answered, completely unconvincingly.  

 

At the end of class, the three guys were headed out into the hall when Sebastian’s phone rang.  It was Finn. Sebastian looked at the caller ID and he visibly paled.

“Sebastian?”  Thad asked, concerned.

“Finn?  What happened?”  Sebastian asked as he answered the phone.

“Kurt.  And Sugar.  Meet us at Lima Memorial.”  Finn was crying, and couldn’t say anything else before he hung up.  Sebastian swayed, nearly passing out. Thad and Cameron grabbed him, holding him steady.  The only thing keeping him from losing it, was knowing that Kurt needed him.

“What happened?”  Thad asked, his voice dripping with concern.

Jeff and Nick walked up, and Jeff asked, “Do you guys want to… Seb?”

“Kurt and Sugar.  Take me to Lima Memorial.  Fast.” Sebastian was white as a ghost.

“Fuck!  Let’s go, I’ll drive you,”  Nick said.

Sebastian, Nick, and Jeff all left without asking or notifying anyone.  Thad said he would take care of that. In the car, Sebastian called his Dad.

“Seb?”  Robert answered.

“Dad, Kurt and Sugar are in the hospital.  Niff and I are on our way now. Lima Memorial.”

“Oh my God, Seb.  We’ll meet you there.”

 

Seb, Nick, and Jeff ran into the hospital ER waiting room, where they saw Puck pacing the floor, and Finn sitting leaned over with his head in his hands.  Sam was sitting, leaning back, gripping the armrests tightly, and bouncing his leg up and down.

“What the fuck happened?”  Sebastian yelled.

Puck couldn’t answer.  He just continued to pace the floor as he looked at Seb and shook his head with tears in his eyes.  Finn looked up, and they could see that he had been crying.

Sam stood to answer them, “Nobody had heard from them.  Kurt wasn’t there when I went to walk him to class. Sugar never showed up in her class.  When Puck didn’t hear from Sugar, he left class and went looking for her. He found them both laying in the hallway.  Kurt was unconscious. Sugar was nearly unconscious. All she said was ‘Mack’. He’s nowhere to be found.”

Sebastian’s legs gave out from beneath him.  He slumped over on his knees and cried. Nick and Jeff helped him up and took him over to sit in a chair.  Sam came over to sit with him, so Jeff moved to the other side of Nick.

Sam wrapped his arm around Sebastian’s shoulder, “He’s going to be okay, Seb.  He’s a fighter. He’s strong.”

Sebastian leaned and put his elbows on his knees and had his head in his hands.  He shoulders shook as he sobbed. Sam rubbed is back, trying to comfort him. “I need to see him,”  Sebastian cried. “I need him. I need to see him.”

“Only Mom and Burt are allowed back right now.  Sorry, man. I know it’s hard,” Finn said, looking at Sebastian apologetically.  Sebastian started sobbing again. He needed to touch Kurt. He needed to feel his heart beat.  He need _him_.  

 

A couple of minutes later Coach Sylvester stormed into the waiting room like a hurricane.  “Who was it?!”

“Mack.”  Several of the boys answered at one time.  

She said nothing in return, but stormed out in a fury.  She took her phone out and got into the school online records, looking up Mack’s address.  She headed to his house. There were no cars in the driveway or on the street. She headed to Lima Bean, the mall, the pool hall… Everywhere she thought she might be able to find the bastard.  No luck.

 

Sebastian had been there about ten minutes when his parents showed up.  He got up and hugged his mom right away. “He’ll be okay, honey. He will,”  Tori tried to reassure him.

“Any word from the doctors yet?”  Robert asked.

“No one has come out.  We don’t know anything.”  Sebastian said as the tears began to flow again.  He choked out, “Puck found them in the hallway. Kurt was unconscious and Sugar nearly was, as well.”  Tori silently shed a tear or two, trying to stay strong for Sebastian and the other boys.

A couple of minutes later, a nurse came into the waiting room.  “Are one of you ‘Sebastian Smythe’?”

Sebastian stood quickly, “I am.”

“Mr. Hummel would like you to come back to see Kurt.”  She smiled at him softly, trying to put him at ease. “Kurt is still unconscious, but Mr. Hummel thought it would be good for both of you if you could be with him.”  Sebastian was so relieved, even though he was terrified at what he might see.

The nurse looked at a post it note she had in her hand, “I will be back for a…’Puck’ in a moment.”  Puck looked visibly relieved.

She lead Sebastian back to Kurt’s room, and he made his way inside.  His heart broke at the sight of Kurt laying there. “Oh God,” he whispered as tears silently flowed down his cheeks again.

Burt went over to him and wrapped him a big bear hug.  “He’ll need to know you’re here, Seb. Talk to him.”

When Burt let go, Sebastian went to Kurt’s bedside.  He got a good look at him. He had a black eye, and a huge lump on his head.  His knuckles were bruised and cut, so at least Sebastian knew he put up a fight.

He gently ran his hands through Kurt’s hair, “I’m here, Baby.  I’ve got you. You’re going to be okay. We’re going to get through this.”  He kissed him on the cheek gently, “I love you so much, Kurt.” He placed his hand on Kurt’s chest.  Feeling Kurt’s heartbeat calmed him a bit, but not enough.

Burt cried a fresh set of tears seeing this act of love.  He needed his baby boy to wake up. He needed him to move to New York with Sebastian.  He needed him to go to the school of his dreams. He needed him to live happily ever after there with Sebastian.  He needed him to get out of Lima… No matter how much it would kill him to not have him close anymore.

Carol took a chair and put it behind Sebastian, “Sit, Sweetie.”  

Sebastian sat and held Kurt’s left hand.  He gently kissed his hand and rubbed his knuckles,  grateful that he had a hand that was uninjured, so he could hold it.  

Burt sat in a chair on the other side of Kurt’s bed.  He held on to his wrist.

“I’m so sorry,”  Sebastian croaked.

Burt looked at him and frowned, “What are you sorry for?  This isn’t your fault.”

“It is.  It was my fault we went to Scandals.  Blaine. It’s my fault Mack was out for revenge.  It’s all my fault. All of Kurt’s pain.” Tears streamed down his face.  

“You are the cause of one thing, Sebastian,”  Carol said and she walked behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder, “You are the cause of his joy.”

“You listen to me, Sebastian.  You are not the cause of any of the bad things that have happened to Kurt.  Blaine, Mack… They are mentally fucked up assholes who would be that way whether you were here of not.  Normal people don’t react like that. Normal people take ‘no’ as ‘no’, and don’t go ape shit crazy when they don’t get laid.”  He paused for a few seconds, “I have never seen Kurt as happy as he is with you. His face lights up at the mention of your name.  He’s more himself than he has ever been able to be. He loves you more than anything. _You_ bring him happiness, love, joy...Everything a parent could ever wish for for their child.”

They were all silent.  Sebastian held Kurt’s hand and would kiss his knuckles.  He never took his eyes off of Kurt. A few minutes later, Sebastian spoke, “I love him more than anything in this world.  I know it’s too soon right now, but when the time is right, do I have your permission to ask Kurt to marry me?” He looked over to Burt for the first time since they had hugged.  

“There are no two people on Earth more right for each other than you two.  Not that you need it, but of course you have my permission.” The corners of Burt’s mouth turned up slightly, “As for when, with you two, I’m not sure there is a wrong time.”


	34. Mack Attack Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hospital after the attack. Some questions will be answered, and some questions will be raised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cried at the end of this one too. Sorry.  
> Comments and kudos = love. Let me know in the comments what you think will happen to Mack.

 

Tori made her way over to Puck, “Puck, honey, come here.”  She pulled him into a big hug. “Sugar is going to be okay.  I just know it. They both are. They are such tough kids.”

“I should have been there.”  Puck said quietly. “I should have made her wait for me, and been there to walk her to class.  It was right down the hall, but I should have made her wait.”

Tori pulled back from the hug a bit, “You and Sebastian are cut from the same cloth.  You can’t physically be there for the people you love 24/7. Even if you could, they would start to resent you for it.  Like you said, it was right down the hall. No one could have known, Puck.”

“I knew.  Sebastian knew.  We saw the look in his eyes.  We heard the threat with our ears.  It was just a matter of time.”

Tori sighed, “You can’t live life like that, Puck.  This was not your fault. Mack is the only one to blame.”

The nurse came out into the waiting room, “Um, Puck?  Noah Puckerman?”

Puck let go of Tori, “Yes, that’s me.”

The nurse gave him a small smile, “Sugar is asking for you.  Come with me, hun.”

Puck, as well as everyone else in the waiting room, looked relieved to know that Sugar was coherent enough to ask for Puck.  That was a good sign.

 

When he entered Sugar’s room, he nearly burst into tears at the sight of her.  She was so small in the hospital bed. She looked exhausted. As he got closer, he saw bruises around her throat.  His blood boiled with anger. He wanted to kill Mack with his bare hands, choking him in the way he did Sugar. Only Puck wanted to see it through to the end.  Mack’s end.

“Puck,”  Sugar whispered as she held out her arms for him.  Tears welled in her eyes. She was a mix of emotions...She hurt, both physically and mentally, and she was relieved to see Puck.  He always made her feel safe. She needed him there. She also felt bad for him. She knew he was upset and angry at the entire situation.

“Sugar.” Puck said softly as he wrapped his arms around her.  He was very gentle with her, not knowing the extent of her injuries.  “Sugar, are you okay?” He knew it was a stupid question.

She shrugged and nodded ‘yes’ at the same time.  A tear fell down her cheek, and Puck immediately wiped it away.  

She whispered, “I want to see Angel.”

“He hasn’t woken up yet.  Let’s take care of you for now.”  Puck ran his hand through her hair.  

The nurse came in with two Police officers.  Puck was relieved to see it was Officer Miller and Officer Weston.  

“Sugar Motta?”  Officer Miller asked.  

Sugar whispered, “Yes.”  It hurt her throat to speak at normal level.  

Officer Miller looked at Vinny and Cindy Motta, “I’m assuming you are Sugar’s parents?”

“Yes, ma’am.”  Cindy answered.  

“Puck, it’s nice to see you again, but I wish it wasn’t under these circumstances.” Officer Miller patted him on the shoulder.

“Me too,” he said sadly.  “I thought you two were on the evening shift?”

“We are,”  Officer Weston answered, “But there’s a bit of a, uh - _understanding_ \- that Officer Miller and I get any case that may be labeled as a hate crime, or even have anything to do with any kind of prejudice.  Because Kurt is involved again, we were called in, and gladly accepted the case. We want justice served with no preconceived notions getting in the way.”

Puck said, “Well, I’m glad it’s you two.”  He looked at Vinny and Cindy, “Officers Weston and Miller came to the Hummel’s the night we caught Karofsky stalking Kurt.  They treated both Kurt and Sebastian like they would have any other person going through the same thing.”

“Oh, I see.  Well, I’m glad too, then.”  Vinny said.

Officer Miller asked Sugar, “Is it okay if everyone stays while we ask you questions, or would you like it to be just us?”

Sugar grabbed Puck’s hand, “Stay, please.”

“Okay, Sugar.  The nurse told me that you have a concussion, and your voice is weak due to your injuries.  Take you time answering, okay?” Officer Miller was speaking gently and reassuringly. Puck thought she was the perfect person to ask these tough questions.  Being a woman, speaking gently, and being empathetic was all a benefit.

“First, do you know who attacked you?”

Sugar nodded, “Yes.  Mack Robinson.”

“Okay,”  Officer Miller nodded to Officer Weston, who stepped out into the hall so he call in a warrant for Mack’s arrest.  “Can you tell me what happened?”

“Angel saw me walking to class by myself,”  Sugar paused, “Angel is Kurt. We weren’t supposed to be by ourselves.”  She looked at Puck apologetically. He squeezed her hand to let her know it was okay.

“What do you mean by that, Sugar?”

Sugar looked at Puck like she was asking for help, so he answered, “There’s a bunch of history with Mack and our group of friends.  I’d like to tell you, since Sugar needs to rest her voice.” Office Miller nodded, so Puck continued, “Mack has been coming on to Leah Smythe, Sebastian’s sister, since he saw her in the Fall.  Leah is beautiful, and Mack really wants her. He’s quite a womanizer. Sam pretends to be her boyfriend whenever she’s around, hoping it will keep Mack at bay, since his advances are unwanted. One night, Leah was at a friend’s house.  Turns out this friend’s older brother is friends with Mack, and they had been drinking. He scared Leah so much that she locked herself in her friend’s bedroom and she called Sebastian to come get her. Her parents were out of town at political event.  So, Seb and Kurt were on a date in Westerville, and wanted her out of there asap, so they called Sam and us to go get her, since we’d be able to get to her first. Sam ended up having to punch Mack just to be able to get to the bedroom door. We ended up getting her out.  Mack was pissed, though. He couldn’t take it out on Sebastian, with Dalton Academy’s security, and he didn’t know where Leah went to school - a boarding school in Indiana- so he took it out on the person Sebastian loves most. Kurt.”

“What did he do?”  Officer Miller asked.

“He shoved him into a locker so hard that it made his head bleed.”  Puck cleared his throat, “We started staying with Princes, I mean, Kurt, every minute at school. We weren’t going to let him hurt Kurt like that. Since we were watching him like a hawk, he had one of friends sneak into McKinley and rough Kurt up.  Shoved him into a wall, HARD, and then punched him in the stomach a few times. He had called a fake football meeting, so we would all be out of the way. Karofsky saw him at the mall, being forceful with two girls. He stepped in. He’s the one who found out it was Mack and his friend.  Kurt hadn’t seen who did the first locker check. We all just assumed it was him. And there had been witnesses the second time, but nobody recognized him since he wasn’t from McKinley. Before that, we didn’t know who was doing it. Anyway, Mack is super into Leah. She’s not interested in him, and it pisses him off.  So, a bunch of us were bowling Saturday night. Leah wasn’t home last weekend, so she wasn’t there. Mack came into the bowling alley and went up to Sam, and asked him if Leah dumped him, or if she was slumming it with someone else. Sam’s family was homeless for awhile, so that one hurt. Mack got in Sam’s face so we all went to be with Sam.  He said since we made it hard for him to get laid, he was going to take what he wanted. Sebastian told him that if he hurt someone he loved again, he would regret it.” Puck paused and looked at Sugar. He looked down and cleared his throat again, “He… He looked at Kurt and Sugar both. He just said ‘We’ll see’, but the way he said it… There was a threat in his voice, and in his eyes.  So we all agreed that all of the girls and Kurt would have someone with them at all times today. Power in numbers, ya know?” He looked at Sugar. “But somehow…”

Sugar said, “I didn’t listen.  I only had to go down the hall.  Angel saw me alone, and left his place where he was waiting on Sam.  He didn’t want me to be alone.” She cried, “It’s my fault that he’s hurt again.”

“It’s that asshole’s fault, Sugar.  Don’t you dare blame yourself,” Vinny boomed.  “He’s the one who is wrong!”

“Your father is right.  What happened, Sugar?” Officer Miller asked.  

“We were maybe 15 feet from my classroom and I told Angel to go to class before he was late.  When he walked away, Mack came out of nowhere and grabbed me. He threw me into the custodian’s closet door.  It’s in a nook, where people can’t see from down the hall. He started choking me, telling me to be quiet. Said he would take what he wanted.  He said that he didn’t ‘swing that way’, referring to Angel, but… He said I had a nice little ass. He ran his hand up my thigh and under my skirt.  He grabbed my ass, and slid his fingers…” Puck’s free hand was in a fist, knuckles turning white. Sugar was struggling to say it, “His fingers, um, went into my panties some.  I guess I made some noise, because he put his hand over my mouth and slammed my head against the door. Next thing I knew, we were in the closet. He shoved me hard. He flipped me around, pinning me with my chest to the wall.  I was fighting, so he pinned my arms behind my back. He started to… rub my private area under my skirt. I screamed, so he stopped and put his hand over my mouth. He was rubbing his erection against my backside, grinding against me.”

She was crying, and Puck held her hand and kissed her cheek.  “You can do this, Sugar. You’re doing a great job.” He wiped away the tears.  Vinny was holding Cindy, both had tears freely flowing.

“Angel must have heard me.  He opened the door and yelled for him to get off pulling him back.  I thought Mack was going to hit him, but Angel punched him first. I grabbed Angel and pulled him into the hallway so we could get away.  Mack followed us too quickly. He was pissed. Probably didn’t like that a gay cheerleader clocked him. He punched Angel hard. Sent him to the ground.  I went to help him up and Mack shoved me. I hit the wall really, really hard. I guess that’s when I got the concussion. I was on the ground when I saw Angel get up.  I’ve never seen him so mad. He hates violence...but he...he went after Mack. Punched him three or four times, I think. Each time he emphasized a word as he said, ‘Don’t fucking touch her.’”  She looked at Vinny, “Sorry, Daddy.”

“Sugar, you can cuss all you want today.”  He responded.

Officer Miller smiled a small smile, “You get a free pass from me too, Sugar.  What happened next?”

Sugar took a deep breath, “Angel came to help me.  Before he could help me up, Mack slammed him against the wall, chest first.  He said something about touching what he wants. And then something about Sebastian.  I was pretty out of it then. I tried to pay attention, but…”

“It’s okay, Sugar.”  Puck said as he ran his fingers through her hair.  

“He… He took Angel’s head, pulled it back… and slammed it against the wall. It was so hard.  Angel fell to the ground. He wasn’t moving. I tried to get to him. I think I was passing out and waking back up?  I don’t know. The next thing I knew, Mack was gone and I was in Puck’s arms. Then I was out again. Then I was in an ambulance.”

“Thank you, Sugar.  I just have one question.  Are you 100% sure that it was Mack Robinson that attacked you and Kurt?”  Officer Miller kept her cool, but deep down, she was seeing red. She knew everything Kurt had been through, and was disgusted that he had to go through anything again.  

“110% sure of two things.  It was Mack Robinson who tried to rape me, and it was Kurt Hummel who saved me.”  Sugar whispered. Her throat was hurting bad. She placed a hand on it, instinctually protecting it.

Puck squeezed the hand he was holding, and kissed her on the cheek.  He was so grateful to Kurt for rescuing his girl. He doesn’t know what he would have done if Mack had been able to rape Sugar.  It was bad enough that she had been sexually assaulted. He really hoped Kurt would wake up soon, so he could thank him properly.

“Puck, can you tell what happened on your end?”  Officer Miller asked.

“When I didn’t see Sugar outside her class, I assumed someone walked her to class.  When I hadn’t heard from her, I texted a football buddy who was in her next class.  He said she hadn’t shown up. So I left the class I was in to go look for her. As soon as I turned the corner of that hallway, I saw them.  Kurt was laying on his side, unconscious, and Sugar was on her stomach. It looked like she had tried crawling over to him, and couldn’t make it.  I went to her first, and she was barely conscious. She got tears in her eyes when she saw me. She whispered Mack’s name. I went over to Kurt and checked his pulse.  He was alive, but unresponsive. I went back and held Sugar. She kept fading in and out. I called 911, then Finn. Finn notified his teacher, who called the office. Then he called Burt and Sam while he made his way to me.  He held Kurt until the ambulance came.”

“Okay,”  Officer Miller looked at Sugar and Puck, then to Vinny and Cindy.  “We’ve put out an warrant for his arrest. I will let you know as soon as I hear anything.”

“Thank you, Officer,”  Vinny said as he shook her hand.  

The first thing Sugar said when the officers left was, “Can I go see Angel now?”

 

Once Officer Miller left Sugar’s room, she and Officer Weston headed straight for Kurt’s room.  They knocked and then entered. Burt was still in his spot, holding Kurt’s wrist, since his knuckles were busted.  Carol was sitting on a love seat under the window, but it was Sebastian that caught her attention the most. He was a wreck.  His eyes were puffy and red, and he looked miserable. He was leaning on top of the bed as much as he could, holding Kurt’s hand which he had pulled to his chest, cradling his arm.  She felt so bad for him.  
“Sorry to bother you,”  Officer Miller said, “but we just wanted to check and see how Kurt was doing.  We also wanted to let you know that we have been assigned to the case. We’ve spoken with Sugar and Puck, and we’ve put out a warrant for Mack Robinson’s arrest.”

The room was oddly quiet.  Finally, Burt spoke, “Thank you.  As for how he’s doing, there’s been no change.  Still hasn’t woken up.”

Sebastian looked up at them from where he was resting his head with Kurt’s hand in his.  He kissed Kurt’s hand and then looked at the officers, “How’s Sugar?”

“She’s awake and talking.  She keeps asking to see Kurt.” Officer Weston gave as sympathetic smile.  Sebastian nodded his head.

“Sebastian, we do have a couple of questions for you about Saturday night, as well as about your sister.  Would you like to step outside?”

Sebastian’s eyes widened and he shook his head, “No. Please. I don’t want to leave him.”

“Okay, that’s fine, Sebastian.  Puck said that Mack confronted you guys at the bowling alley.”

“Yeah.  He came up to Sam and asked him if Leah, my sister, dumped him or if she was slumming it with someone else.  Sam used to be homeless, so that really hurt his feelings, I think.” Burt shook his head at the cruelty that this asshole constantly seemed to display. “Kurt and I were off talking, but we saw him confront Sam, so we hurried over.  I had our friend Chris make sure Kurt stayed back, because Mack has attacked him, or had someone attack him twice already, so I didn’t want Kurt near him. Mack got in Sam’s face. He said because we had made it hard for him to get what he had always gotten ‘so freely’, he would have to take it.  I felt like he was threatening Kurt and Leah, so I told him if he hurt anyone I love again, he’d regret it. He looked at Kurt and Sugar with this...this threatening look in his eyes. He just said, ‘We’ll see’. He left right after, but we all felt the threat, so we made a plan for all the girls and Kurt to be with someone else all day.”

Officer Miller nodded, “Yes, that’s what Puck told us as well.  From what Puck says, he seems almost obsessed with your sister, Leah.  Can you tell us about that?”

Sebastian nodded and said, “Yeah.  Leah, Sugar and I went to a football game at McKinley last Fall.  Kurt cheers, and Puck is the wide receiver. Lots of people were staring at us.  Everyone knew Sugar, and most knew who I was by then, but Leah was a new addition.  She’s gorgeous, and seemed to attract a lot of attention. She _just_ turned 15, and I’m pretty protective of her. Mack came up and introduced himself as one of Sugar’s friends.” Sebastian smirked the tiniest bit, “Sugar put him in his place with that one. She wasn’t going to let him use her.  Told him they weren’t friends and to leave. He showed up at Desserted Love after the game. Sam put his arm around Leah, and told Mack they were together.  He left after a while, but it took some convincing. We didn’t even let him know Leah’s name for a long time. He threatened us again when Leah and I went to McKinley one day after school.  Then the night at Leah’s friend Mandy’s house…” Sebastian recalled the night exactly like Puck had.

“So,”  Officer Weston spoke, “You think all of this is because he can’t have Leah?”

“Basically, yes.  It’s his revenge.”  Sebastian was looking at Kurt.  He pulled his hand up and kissed it again. “He takes it out on Kurt, because he can’t get to me at Dalton, and he doesn’t think he can take on Sam.  He knows hurting Kurt will hurt me.”

Officer Miller cleared her throat, “Well, it seems this time, he was after Sugar.  According to Sugar, he tried to rape her, and Kurt saved her.”

“He loves her so much,”  Sebastian said, looking at Kurt still.

“That’s why his knuckles are busted,”  Burt huffed. “God, he hates violence… But he loves Sugar more.”

Sebastian’s eyes widened, and he paled, “Do you think he’ll go after Leah now?”

Officer Weston asked, “Does he know where she goes to school?  Puck said it was a school in Indiana?”

“Oldenburg Academy in Oldenburg, Indiana.  About 45 minutes from Cincinnati. I know we have never told him.”  Sebastian sat straight up, “But, Mandy! Her friend that she was staying with when we had to rescue her.  She goes to school there too! He could easily find out! Please. My parents are in the waiting room…”

“Okay, Sebastian, take a deep breath.  We’ll go talk to them, and we’ll make sure Leah is safe,”  Officer Weston tried to reassure him. “You can come out with us, if you’d like.”

“No.  I’m not leaving Kurt.  Please, just talk to my parents.”

“They can come back here, if the nurses will allow it.”  Burt said.

“I’ll go out with you, and we’ll see what works best,”  Carol said as she stood.

Burt shook their hands, but Sebastian made no attempt to move.  He just continued to watch Kurt, not letting go.

 

When Carol and Officers Weston and Miller entered the waiting room, they noticed how it had quickly filled up.  Most of the New Directions were there, about half of the Warblers, and Chris. The room fell silent when they saw Carol.  She sighed, “You all are so sweet for being here. There hasn’t been any changes yet. Kurt still hasn’t woken up. Why don’t you go home, get some rest, and we’ll start making some phone calls as soon as we know anything.”

Nobody moved.  Nobody said a word.  

Finally, Santana spoke.  She looked at Officer Miller, “Any word on Mack?  Trust me, I’ve looked for him and haven’t found him.”

“No,”  Officer Miller said, “And I strongly advise you do NOT go looking for him.”  Santana just grunted in response and leaned back, crossing her arms.

Thad stood up and walked to Carol. “Can you take these clothes to Seb?  I’m sure he’ll be more comfortable in them. I also packed him a toiletry bag.  I know he won’t want to leave Kurt’s side.”

Carol gave him a kind smile, “Thank you, Thad.  That was very thoughtful of you. I’ll make sure he gets them.”  Thad returned to his seat and sighed. Chris reached across the armrest and held his hand.  

Thad looked at Chris and quietly said, “He knew.  He knew this was going to happen Saturday night. But he also knew something had happened to Kurt, even before he got the phone call from Finn.  You should have seen his face, Chris. We had to catch him. He almost passed out…”

Chris squeezed his hand, “They have a strong connection.  A great love. I’m sure that love will help Kurt pull through this.”

Carol, the Smythe’s, and both officers had stepped aside to talk.  Meanwhile, Santana texted Karofsky. She wasn’t beating around the bush.

 

**To Dave:**

Mack tried to rape Sugar.  Kurt stopped it, but paid the price.  Both Kurt and Sugar are in the hospital.  Kurt hasn’t woken up yet. Get Rob to tell you where Mack is.  We can’t find him.

**To Santana:**

This better be a joke.  Is Fancy okay?

**To Dave:**

No joke, dipshit.  We’re all at the hospital now.  Find out…

**To Santana:**

On it.  But I ain’t promising that I’ll tell you where he is before I get to him.

**To Dave:**

Deal.

 

Just Sebastian and Burt were in the room when the doctor came in.  

“We’re going to go ahead and move Kurt to a regular room.  There’s been no change in any of his vitals. His brain is going to need time to heal, so even if he does wake up soon, we’d like to keep him for a least a night or two.”

Burt nodded and then paused before saying, “If Sugar has to stay as well, can they room together?”

“Sir, that’s highly unusual.  We don’t usually put men and women together.  Especially teens.” The doctor frowned.

“They’re best friends.  They spend the night together all the time.  Sleep in the same bed too. Plus he’s gay, and taken.” Sebastian turned to look at the doctor, challenging him to question it. “And I won’t be leaving his side.  They’re going to need each other.”

The doctor nodded, “I’ll see what I can do.”  He left the room quickly.

Burt just smirked.  It was the first time he had anything resembling a smile since they got there. “Thank you, Seb.”

Sebastian frowned and looked at Burt, “For what?”

“For loving him so fiercely.  For fighting for him, loving him, supporting him, standing up against anyone for him.  He’s lucky to have you.”

Sebastian shook his head, but said nothing.  He looked back to Kurt.

“You had better not be blaming yourself still, Seb.  This is not your fault.” Sebastian still said nothing.  He just stared at Kurt. Burt continued after a minute, “You know, I used to be terrified all the time.  I worried about him constantly. The bullying at school. The idiots in this town. God, the thought of him going off to New York by himself gave me an ulcer.  I know bad things have happened to him since you’ve known him. But they haven’t happened because of you. Your response to these things, though… God, most adults don’t have it in them to react the way you do.  Now, I still worry. Until the world changes its views on homosexuality, I’ll always worry. But now, not as much. Now that he has you.”

Sebastian held Kurt’s hand with his left hand and stroked his hair with his right.  “I’d do anything for him.”

“I know you would.”

 

Carol came back in and gave Sebastian his clothes and toiletries.  “I think nearly all of both glee clubs are out there. I told them to go home, that we would call, but they won’t budge.  Thad brought you the clothes, Sweetie.”

“That was nice of him,”  Sebastian said. “I’ll change once we get to the new room.”

“He’s being admitted now?”  Carol asked.

Burt answered, “Yes.  We requested that Sugar be his roommate if she has to stay.”

“Will they allow it?  They don’t typically.”

Burt smirked, “If Sebastian has his way, they will.”

 

Ten minutes later, Kurt was being moved to his new room.  Once there, Sebastian ignored the sign on the bathroom that said ‘patients only’, and changed into the Dalton sweats, t-shirt, and sweat jacket that Thad brought for him.  He had never changed so fast. He didn’t want to be away from Kurt for long.

Carol had gone to the ER waiting room and told everyone what room number Kurt would be in.  She told them that it was possible that Sugar would be rooming with him, and they would need some alone time.  She encouraged everyone to go home and come back the next day after school. They would only allow family back for the rest of the evening.  

Finn and Sam came into the room very hesitantly.  Finn had been a mess after seeing Kurt laying in the hallway like he had.  Sam wasn’t much better off. He felt guilty for not being there when he was supposed to be.  Both boys kissed Kurt on the forehead, whispering words of love and encouragement. They headed home not long after, but only after Burt and Carol promised to call right away if their were any changes.  

Sebastian’s parents were the next to come in.  Tori went straight to Sebastian, hugging his shoulders from behind.  “Can I get you anything, Seb? Dinner?” Sebastian shook his head. She looked at Burt and Carol, “How about you two?  Can we bring you dinner? Get you anything from home?”

“That’s very thoughtful of you.  I think once we know if Sugar will be in here, and get her settled, I’ll head home and make sure the boys are taken care of.  I’ll bring Burt some fresh clothes.”

“Okay, I’ll go grab some food that will keep, and you two can keep it here for when you need it.”  She looked at Sebastian, “Don’t neglect your own health, Seb.  Kurt needs you healthy.”

Sebastian nodded, “I know.  What about Leah? Did you talk to the officers about her?  Is she safe?”

Robert answered, “She’s safe.  I spoke to her a bit ago. She sends her love to all of you.”  

Sebastian said, “But we don’t know where he is.  Will she stay safe tonight? What if he goes down there?”

“Lima Police Dept. have spoken with Oldenburg Police Dept. and they are stepping up security around the campus.  Leah has agreed not to go off campus, or out of her dorm building tonight.”

“And tomorrow?  And the next day?  That’s not enough, Dad.”

“I know you’re worried, Sebastian.  I understand that.”

 

They were interrupted when Sugar was wheeled into the room with Puck and her parents following closely behind. She gasped when she saw Kurt again.

“Angel…”  She cried quietly.  

Burt stood, and let Sugar be wheeled up to Kurt’s bed.  She took his hand gently, careful to not touching his bruises or cuts.  She cried looking at him. “Angel… Angel, please wake up,” her weak voice cried.  There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.


	35. Mack Attack Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seb learns what happened at McKinley and Mack makes his presence known. What happens when the police get involved?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another difficult one to write. Hopefully things will start looking up after this. 
> 
> *** IF YOU ARE EASILY TRIGGERED, or you aren't sure if you are easily triggered, please read the new tags I have added to the story.  
> *** If you DON'T want any spoilers, DON'T read the new tags. It will give away too much.  
> *** Please read notes at the end!
> 
> Please remember that you are reading the show in my head. It may not be how things actually happen in real life, but hey, artistic license and all....
> 
> Comments and Kudos welcomed and appreciated!

Sugar cried as she held Kurt’s hand.  Sebastian had tears running down his face as looked at Kurt.  He was hoping that hearing Sugar’s voice would wake Kurt, but it didn’t.  Sebastian finally took his eyes off Kurt long enough to really look at Sugar.  “Oh my god, Sugar.” He saw the bruising around her throat. He gave her a sympathetic look, “I’m so sorry.”  He looked up to Puck, who was standing behind Sugar’s wheelchair, “I’m sorry. I didn’t want it to go this far.”

“Stop!”  Vinny said.  “Enough with you kids blaming yourselves.  I have heard all three of you do it. It is not your fault.  None of you. You should be able to walk down the fucking hallway of your own school, and not be attacked.  Not locker checked, not verbally assaulted, and definitely not sexually assaulted! You should be able to turn a guy down, and not have to live your life wondering when and where he will attack you or the people you love.  It was MACK’s fault. Just like it was Blaine’s. No more self blame.”

“He’s right,”  Robert said, “Burt, Vinny, if it’s okay with you, I’m going to go call Mr. Edwards.  I’m sure he would be happy to take on this case.”

“That would be great.  Thanks Robert.” Burt said. Vinny agreed.

Sebastian looked at Sugar, “Are you going to be okay?”

She shrugged.  In her quiet, strained voice, she answered, “I have a concussion.  He choked me, so that’s the bruising. It hurts to talk too much.”

“We still don’t know what happened,”  Seb looked at Puck, “Maybe you can fill us in?  Maybe once Sugar goes back, you can stay for a couple of minutes?”

Puck looked at Sugar, and she nodded that that would be okay.  “Sure, man. You should know what happened too.”

The nurse who had Sugar told her they should be getting back so they were there when the doctor came back.  “Hopefully he’ll allow you to stay here tonight, okay?”

Sugar agreed reluctantly.  She squeezed Kurt’s arm gently, “You wake up for me, Angel.  Your dad and Seb are here waiting for you. I love you.” The nurse pulled her away a bit.  She stopped her and turned to Sebastian, “I love you, too, Seb.”

“I love you, too, Sugar.  I’m glad you’re going to be okay.”  She smiled weakly at him as the nurse turned her chair and wheeled her away with Vinny and Cindy following.

Carol and Tori were on the love seat, and Robert was leaning against the wall next to Tori’s seat.  Burt pulled up a chair from the other half of the room, so Puck could sit too.

Puck sat opposite Sebastian and told them everything that he knew, including the details Sugar had given them.  “I want to kill him for touching her...hurting her,” he said as he finished.

Sebastian watched Kurt, kissing his hand.  “I know the feeling.”

Tori wiped away a tear and sighed, “I’m going to go get you guys some food.  Any special requests?”

“Anything is fine, Mom.  Thanks,” Sebastian responded as he stroked Kurt’s hair.  

“I’m going to head back to Sugar.  Hopefully we’ll see you guys again soon if she ends up having to stay.”  Puck looked down at Kurt for a minute as tears formed in his eyes. He leaned over and kissed Kurt on the forehead, “Thanks for saving Sugar, Princess.  Love you.”

Once they left, and the room was once again silent, Sebastian sat and prayed for the first time in a long time.  

……….

 

Dave waited outside the weight room where he knew Rob would be finishing up his nightly workout.  When he came out into the hall, Dave slammed him into the wall, “Okay, asshole, tell me where Mack is.  Your little buddy is due for a special visit from me.”

Rob rushed to answer, “I don’t know, man.  I’m not friends with him anymore, I swear.”

“Why should I believe you!?”

“Because, dude, ever since he had me rough up that fag-”

 _Pop!_ David punched him in the mouth. “Don’t. Call. Him. That.”

Rob held his mouth in pain, “Okay, okay.  Sorry. Ever since he had me rough up that _guy_ , my life had been hell.  My tires are always getting slashed.  My parents won’t even let me buy more.  I have to go without a car now. I’m still getting random locker checks.  The rumors about Mack have started to spread to me. Girls think I have some kind of STD now.  I quit hanging out with him a long time ago.”

Dave narrowed his eyes and tightened the grip he had on Rob’s shirt, “Let’s say I believe you.  Where would you go looking for him if he wasn’t at home or at school?”

“I don’t know.  The mall or the pool hall, I guess.”

Dave shoved him back against the wall, and walked away.  

He went to the pool hall first, then spent time walking the mall.  There was no sign of Mack.

 

**To Santana:**

No luck.

**To Dave:**

Shit…

**To Santana:**

How’s Fancy?

**To Dave:**

Still hasn’t woken up.  

 

……………..

 

“Think of all things we have to look forward to, Baby.  In a few weeks, we’ll be in New York, checking out the penthouse and the city, planning our future there.  I need you to wake up for that, Kurt. Please wake up, Baby.”

 

………………

 

Coach Sylvester had sat outside Mack’s house for hours.  There was no sign of him at all. She was almost ready to leave when she saw a truck parked down the street.  She slowly drove by, and saw that it was Dave Karofsky. She knew why Dave was there. She knew all about his feelings for Porcelain, and the reasons behind his bullying.  They made eye contact as she drove by and nodded to each other. No words needed to be spoken.

 

……………….

 

“Kurt, Baby, I need you to wake up.  Please, wake up for me.” Sebastian sat, holding Kurt’s hand, stroking his face and hair.   

 

………………

 

Robert and Tori had left to go to the grocery store for some dinner and snacks for themselves, the Hummels, and Sebastian.  While Tori was in the store, Robert called Mr. Edwards. He explained to Mr. Edwards the threats that Mack had made and why. He explained that Kurt and Sugar were in the hospital.  Mr. Edwards was so upset that Kurt was hurt again, “What more can the poor kid take?”

“I know.  Kurt still hasn’t woken up.  Sebastian is a wreck. They love each other so much.”

“That was very apparent in court last Fall.  I can only imagine how upset he is.” Mr. Edwards sighed.    
Robert added, “I’m sure you remember Kurt’s best friend, Sugar? Mack tried to rape her at school, and Kurt intervened.  He got in some punches too, but Mack slammed his head into the wall, knocking him out. He hasn’t woken up yet. Mack ran, apparently.  They can’t find him. I just want to give you heads up that we would like your help with this case when it’s time.”

“Absolutely, Sir.  You can count on me.”

 

………………

 

“We still need to finish planning our trip to Walt Disney World.  Where do you want to eat? What rides do you want Fast Passes for?  What parks do you want to go to twice? I need you to wake up and tell me these things, Babe.  Please, wake up, Kurt. Please…”

 

……………..

 

Leah sat in the window seat of her dorm room looking out into the darkened courtyard as she clutched her phone to her chest.  She had texted Sebastian, but he didn’t answer. She assumed that he didn’t have his phone on him. She had already spoken to her parents, and they had given her all the details they knew.  She texted her mom a couple more times, but Tori just confirmed that there was nothing to update her on. She was so anxious about how everyone was doing, and wanted to be at the hospital with them so badly that it hurt.  

A tear rolled down her cheek as she pictured Kurt laying in the hospital bed, broken and bruised.  She pictured Sebastian sitting, holding his hand. She imagined the bruises on Sugar’s neck, and the anger in Puck’s eyes that someone hurt his girl.  She imagined the torment that their family must be going through as they waited in the waiting room. She wondered which was worse...actually being there, or her imagination.

Leah’s roommate, Claire, interrupted her thoughts, “Leah, I know you’re upset, but there’s nothing you can do.  Why don’t you try to go to bed early. By the time you wake up tomorrow, maybe there will be some news. Good news.”

Leah slowly pulled her eyes away from the courtyard and looked at Claire, “Yeah, you’re probably right.  I’m going to go get some water first. Would you like something?”

“No thanks.  I’m just going to finish my history reading and then I’m headed to bed too.”

“K.  Be back in a minute.”  Leah sighed as she left the room and headed down the hall to the common room.   She was almost to the common room when she slowed. Something felt off. She couldn’t decide if it was worry over Kurt and Sugar, or if her gut was trying to tell her something. That’s when she saw someone in shadows crossing her hallway to an adjoining hallway.  She sighed at how ridiculous she was being. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, then headed back to her room.

As she approached her room, she saw him. He had a black eye, and looked like shit, but there was no denying it was Mack.  His head was hanging, and he was walking with a bit weird stagger, like he was on something, or hurt. His head remained down, but he raised his eyes.  When he saw it was Leah, he smirked, “Found you,” is all he said.

As fast as she could, she crossed the several feet of the hallway to get to her room.  She made it inside, locked it, and put her back to the door.

Claire sat up, “What’s wrong?!”

“He’s here!  Help me move the dresser to in front of the door!”  Leah and Claire grabbed either end of one of the dressers and moved it to in front of the locked door.  They pushed the second dresser in front of that one, and then Claire called 911. While Claire called 911, Leah called her mom.

 

………………..

 

Tori was gathering up all of the garbage from around the hospital room that was left from dinner when her phone rang.  She looked at the caller ID and answered, “Still no changes yet, Sweetie.”

“Mom, he’s here!  Mack is here! Claire called 911. Please come get me!”  Leah sounded panicked.

Tori froze in her spot and Burt was the first to notice the look on her face.  He stood and quickly made his way to her. “Robert,” he said quietly. That made everyone turn to look.  Robert quickly made his way to Tori and grabbed her around the waist.

“We’re on our way.  Stay on the phone. Is the door locked?  Are you in your room?” Tori was panicking.  

“Yes, Mom.  It’s locked and we have two dressers in front of the door.  He’s pounding on the door! Please, hurry. I want to go home,”  Leah cried, and Tori wanted nothing more than to be with her. It physically hurt every part of her being to not be with her daughter.  

“Is he there!?”  Sebastian felt like he was going to be sick.

Tori looked at Sebastian with absolute terror in her eyes and nodded, “He’s outside Leah’s door.”

For the first time in hours, Sebastian let go of Kurt’s hand.  He ran to the bathroom, and threw up what little he had eaten for dinner.  Carol rushed to his side, rubbing his back, and then getting him a glass of water.  “She’ll be okay, Seb. I’m sure the police are on their way,” She tried to reassure him.

“We’ll take care of Seb.  Go.” Burt hurried, “Please keep us informed,”  he said as Robert and Tori rushed out the door.

 

…………..

 

Mack tried kicking the door in.  He tried busting it down with his shoulder.  Nothing was working.

Leah and Claire were huddled together in the corner when they both got a text alert.  Without hanging up, they both looked at their phones and saw it was from their “Dorm Mom”, Ms. Carpenter.  The alert read, “Stay in rooms. Lock the doors. Dangerous man in building.”

Tori had put her phone on speaker in the car.  They heard the alert come through. “What was that?”  Robert asked.

“A text from Ms. Carpenter telling us to stay in our rooms and lock the doors.  Where are you now?”

“Almost to Westerville, honey.  It’s only been a few minutes. We’re going as fast as we can.  Is Claire still on the line with the police?” Tori was taking deep breaths trying to calm herself.

“Yes.  They should...Yes! I see lights outside.  I think they’re here!”

Mack had been listening through the door.  He was fairly certain that Leah was referring to the police.  He tried the door one more time, and when it failed, he took off as soon as he could.  He ran down the steps several at a time. When he exited the building, he could see the police cruisers pulling into a parking lot.  He counted himself lucky that the lot was not right next to the dorm building. It gave him time to get to his car that was in a different lot by a dorm across the courtyard.  

 

One group of police officers stormed into the building and searched for Mack one floor and room at a time.  Each time they cleared a floor, the students were dismissed and escorted with school administration in the neighboring building.  Another pair of officers went straight to Leah and Claire’s room on the third floor.

 

As this was happening, Tori was texting Sebastian on Robert’s phone, and Sebastian would relay the information to Burt and Carol.  Sebastian had moved back to Kurt’s side and was holding his hand with one hand, and his phone with the other. Carol pulled a chair up next to Sebastian’s and put her hand on his shoulder.  

 

“Police!  Are you girls alright?”  One officer called.

“Yes!”  Leah answered.  “Can we come out?”

“Wait until we have cleared the building.  Since one of you were the target, we need to make sure the suspect is gone or apprehended before it’s safe for you to come out.  We aren’t going anywhere. There are other officers sweeping the building.”

“Okay.”

Leah made sure her mom knew that the police were there.  Tori immediately called Sebastian on Robert’s phone and he put it on speaker.  “The police are there, Seb. They are outside her room, guarding it until the building is clear.  She’s okay. She’s going to be okay.”

Sebastian put his head on Kurt’s bed and cried in relief.  Carol wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. She rubbed his back and kissed his shoulder.  

“Thank God.”  Burt sighed.

“It’s all going to be fine, Sebastian.  Leah is safe, Kurt will wake up soon, and things will be good again soon,”  Carol mumbled into his shoulder.

 

………….

 

Mack made it to his car and headed toward Cincinnati.  He thought back through the events that lead him to this night.  When did everything go so wrong? How had he become so obsessed with sex?  And with Leah? It was as if she was the ultimate goal, and the only thing standing in his way was her brother and his friends.  But why? Why her? Was the fact that he wasn’t getting laid making him want her more? Why did it bother him so much that Sam had her?  Why did it bother him so much that her brother and his _boyfriend_ seemed to be winning?  And how could that gay cheerleader pack such a punch?  His mind was racing with all of these questions. So much so that he had a hard time focusing on the road.  

 

……………..

 

Once the building was cleared, the police knocked on the girls door again, “Open up, girls.  All clear.”

“Mom, I gotta go.  The officers are ready for us to open the door.  I will see you in a little bit, right?” Leah asked.

“Yes, Honey.  We’ll be there soon.  We love you.”

“I love you, too.”

The girls hugged, and then worked together to move the dressers.  Claire peeked through the peephole to make sure it really was the officers.  She unlocked the door, and let them in.

“Are you girls alright?”  A large, buff, police officer in his 30’s asked.  The girls both nodded. “What was that noise before you opened the door?”

“We put both of the dressers in front of the door.”  Leah answered.

“Smart,”  he smiled.  

 

When Robert and Tori arrived an hour later, the police had finished questioning Leah and Claire, but had agreed to keep watch at the doors of each dorm building.  Leah was sitting with Ms. Carpenter in the commons area when her parents walked in. As soon as she saw them, she ran to them. The three of them hugged and cried.  They were all so relieved.

“Let’s FaceTime Sebastian.  He’s worried sick. The last thing he needs right now is more worry.” Robert said.

“Kurt still hasn’t woken up?”  Leah asked, concerned.

“No, Honey.”  

They called Seb, and he answered after the first ring, “Thank God.  Are you okay?”

“I’m okay.  He scared the crap out of me, but didn’t touch me.  We put two dressers in front of the locked door, and called 911 right away.  We’re all clear now, but they haven’t caught him yet. Kurt gave him quite the shiner, by the way.”

Sebastian nodded and sighed.  He looked and sounded exhausted.  

“No change for Kurt yet?”  Leah asked carefully.

“No,”  Sebastian answered, turning to look at Kurt but keeping the phone turned toward himself,  “Not yet.”

“He’ll wake up soon, Seb.  I know it. He’s strong.”

“Yeah, he is.”  

 

Robert and Tori decided to take Leah home with them...for good.  They informed Ms. Carpenter that Leah would be withdrawing, effective immediately.  They did not feel safe, whether Mack was caught or not, leaving her in a school that was so easily accessible to an outsider.  The security was not what they had been told, and they were not happy about it. Leah hugged Claire and said goodbye before grabbing a few of her ‘must have’ items before they left.  They would pick up the other items later, or have them shipped. Right now, they just wanted to get home.

 

…………..

 

“I asked your dad for his blessing in asking you to marry me today.  He agreed. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Baby. Please wake up so we can spend our lives together.  Please, Kurt.”

 

…………..

 

Mack was deep in thought as he approached Cincinnati.  So much so that he missed his exit to 75 North. He followed the signs to 71 North instead.  He was still thinking about the extremes he had taken. He thought about people’s reaction to him.  How he lost friends steadily, year after year. How it was all his fault. He was north of Cincinnati, just past Mason, when he was pulled over by a police officer for speeding and driving erratically.  “Shit,” was all her could say when he saw the flashing lights.

“License and registration, please.”

With a shaky hand, Mack pulled out the paperwork from his glove box, as well as he driver’s license.  He handed them to the officer, who took them back to his patrol car. Mack sat thinking about what the officer was probably learning about him at that very moment.  He couldn’t take it anymore. He started the engine, and took off down the highway. He flew as fast he could, weaving in and out of cars as he went.

A few miles later, he wondered where he was even going.  And what was he going to do when he got there? He already ruined his own life, and likely a few other lives along the way.  All of the questions from earlier came flooding back, more intense than before. He looked in the rear view mirror at the police car chasing him. _What the hell have I done?  What the has my life come to?  My parents already hate me. Now they will never forgive me.  Never._

As he approached the Jeremiah Morrow Bridge, high above the Little Miami River, he came up with a very permanent solution.  He drove as fast as he could, putting as much space between him and the police as possible, and unbuckling his seat belt as he went.  Once he was in the middle of the bridge, he slammed on his breaks, coming to a screeching halt. He jumped out of the car, climbed on the wall of the bridge, looking back at the police cars quickly coming to a stop.  He took a deep breath, and jumped head first to the river below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Please seek help if you ever feel there is no hope left. There is always something to live for.
> 
> National Suicide Prevention Lifeline  
> Call 1-800-273-8255  
> Available 24 hours everyday


	36. Awaken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt wakes up. Lots of people have lots of heart to heart conversations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm loving that some people are commenting that I have never heard from before. I also love my loyal commenters! You all make me happy. Comments and kudos are always welcome and appreciated!

 

Sebastian sat leaning back in his chair facing Kurt, holding his hand and stroking his knuckles as he watched his boyfriend.

“Whatcha thinkin’ about, kid?”  Burt asked from across the bed.

“Hmm?”  Sebastian turned his head slightly to look at Burt.  

“What’s going on in the head of yours?”

“Mmm, a million things, I guess.”  Sebastian looked back at Kurt.

“Like…?” Burt pushed.

Sebastian took a deep breath, “Like will Kurt have amnesia when he wakes up?  Will he be able to go to cheer Nationals? Will he remember me if he does have amnesia?  Will he be able to perform for Glee? Or his NYADA audition? How emotionally scared will he be?...more than he already is.  Will Mack be caught? Will the school believe Kurt and Sugar? Will Mack be at school when Kurt goes back? How will he handle that?  Will Leah be okay?...Will he wake up? How could I ever live without him?...”

“He’ll wake up, Sebastian, and you won’t need to live without him.  I promise you that. He’s a fighter. As for the other questions, time will tell, I suppose.  He’s got a great support system to get him through whatever comes next. So do you, ya know.” There was a long pause and then Burt said, “Maybe I should send him back to Dalton.  He’d be safer there. And he’d be there with you.”

Sebastian thought for a minute, “As much as I would love that, I don’t think it’s what he would want.”

 

……………….

 

“Knock, knock.”  Puck peaked his head in. “Kurt’s new roommate has arrived.”  He held the door open and Sugar was wheeled in, followed by Vinny and Cindy.  

“Hey Sugar.  How are you feeling?”  Sebastian asked with a small smile.  He was glad they were finally allowing Sugar to room with Kurt.  

“Same,”  Sugar shrugged, answering in a very monotone, non-Sugar like voice.

“They want her to stay overnight for observation, but she should be able to head home tomorrow.”  Vinny said.

“That’s good.  I’m sure you’re exhausted.”  Sebastian said. Sugar just nodded in response.  

They got Sugar settled, and Carol announced that she was going to head out, so she could make sure Finn and Sam were okay.  

“Hun, can you call Cassius?  I know it’s late, but I completely forgot.  Ask him to find coverage for my shift tomorrow, and Kurt and Puck’s shifts for the rest of the week.  I’ll take care of figuring my shifts for the rest of the week tomorrow.” Burt lifted his hat and ran his hand over his head.

Sebastian looked up, “Puck, I didn’t know you worked at the shop.  How did I not know that?”

Puck shrugged, “It’s my first week.  I cleaned pools, but there are only so many indoor pools in the area, so winter is slow.  I’m going to change tires, oil, clean up. Leave all the hard stuff to Kurt. I need money for school and New York.”

“New York, huh?”  Sebastian raised an eyebrow and had a slight hint of a smile.  

“Where she goes, I go.  New York, the bakery...It’s her dream.  And my dream… Is Sugar.” Puck said looking at his girl with nothing but adoration and love.  Sugar reached out and Puck quickly took her hand. He sat on the edge of the bed and held her small, soft, hand between his large calloused ones.  There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for his Sugar.

Vinny smirked, and Cindy had tears in her eyes.  

Everyone startled a bit when Burt huffed out a small laugh.  He looked at Vinny, “You know, I think our kids are going to be alright without us in New York.  These two will make sure of it.” He motioned to Seb and Puck.

Vinny smiled, “We just had that conversation about an hour ago.  I think you’re right. We’re lucky in that regard.”

……………….

 

It was around 11 pm, and visiting hours were long over.  The hospital staff didn’t dare ask anyone in Kurt and Sugar’s room to go home.  Every time they had been in to check on them, change IV’s or do an exam, they could feel the love and the intense connection in the group.  They had seen the large crowd in the waiting room earlier, and knew all about the circumstances that brought the two into the hospital. Several of them also knew Carol, since she was also on the nursing staff in a different department.  

All of that is why when Leah insisted that her parents take her to the hospital instead of going straight home, the staff would not turn them away.  Leah slowly walked into the room, tears already running down her cheeks. “Hi,” she softly whispered. Everyone greeted her with love.

Sebastian kissed Kurt’s hand and gently laid it on the bed as he stood to embrace his sister.  He hugged her tight, “I am so glad you’re okay, Leah. I was scared to death.”

“I know, Sebby.  I’m okay.” She squeezed back, “I’m not going back.  Mom and Dad are withdrawing me. I’m not going back.”

Sebastian sighed in relief and looked at his parents as he hugged his sister, “I hope she can stay at home.  Find somewhere close...Maybe Crawford Country Day?”

“We’ll look into it tomorrow.”  Robert answered.

“What are you guys talking about?”  Puck frowned. A guilty look crossed the Hummel’s and Smythe’s faces.  They hadn’t told Sugar or Puck. Things had been too hectic and then when they found out she would be okay, they were so relieved, that it simply didn’t occur to them to go tell the Motta’s and Puck.  Or anyone else, for that matter.

Sebastian quickly told them the basics of what happened as he returned to Kurt.  

Puck quickly came around the bed and hugged Leah tight.  “I’m so glad you’re okay, Leah.” Puck pulled away a bit and rubbed her arm before kissing her cheek and returning to Sugar.  He mumbled under his breath, “God, I hope they find that bastard before I do.”

Robert smiled at Sugar, “I’m glad to see they let you room with Kurt.”

She nodded, and then Burt answered with a slight smirk, “I think they feared what Sebastian would do if they didn’t allow it.”

Robert gave a small chuckle, “Yeah, he can be pretty persuasive, or should I say ‘demanding’, when it comes to getting what he thinks is needed.  Especially for the people he loves. I swear, he’d make a great lawyer.”

Sebastian quietly said,  “No. But I am rethinking med school.”  The parents in the room all had surprised looks on their faces, but didn’t say a word.  Now was not the time.

Leah went over to Sugar and leaned in to give her a gentle hug, “I’m so sorry this happened, Sugar.  I’m glad you’re going to be okay.” She ran a hand through Sugar’s hair.

Sugar gave the best small smile she could, but didn’t say anything in regards to herself.  “I’m glad you’re okay too, Leah.”

 

Robert and Tori were getting ready to take Leah home, when they heard a knock at the door. Seconds later, a very attractive woman in her mid 30’s came in.  She was wearing form fitting jeans, and a nice eggplant colored sweater. Her dark blond hair was down, and the waves swept the side of her face. “Sorry to bother you so late.”

Everyone looked confused.  She wasn’t a nurse or a doctor.  Then Sebastian and Puck both said in unison, “Officer Miller?”  If it hadn’t been for her voice, it would have taken them a long time to recognize her.  

She smiled a shy smile, “Yeah, I look like a normal human now, don’t I?”

“Yeah.  I wouldn’t have recognized you.”  Vinny said.

“Well, I’m supposed to be off duty, but we just got some information that I thought you should know, so I clocked back in so I could do this ‘officially’.”  Everyone kept silent, listening to every word she said. “Warren County police have contacted us. A couple of hours ago, a person believed to be Mack Robinson, according to the driver’s license, was pulled over for speeding, about 20 minutes North of Cincinnati.  When the officer at the scene went to run his plates and driver’s license, he took off. They gave chase, and eventually that chase ended at the Jeremiah Morrow Bridge. As the officers pulled up behind him, he got out of the car… and jumped off the bridge.”

The entire room was silent.  Shock was a look that everyone seemed to share for a few long seconds.

It was Sugar that broke the silence, but it was not her words.  She cried, holding her throat because the strain of crying made it ache.  Puck climbed into bed next to her and held her. She, as everyone else, seemed to be having a mix of emotions.  Relief that Mack would not be able to hurt them again. Sadness that he felt he needed to end his own life. And for some, disappointment that they wouldn’t see him suffer for the crimes he had committed.

Sebastian watched as she seemed to be losing all control.  He looked at his sister, who was also crying. He looked at Kurt, wondering how he was going to feel when he eventually learned the news of Mack’s death.  As for himself, he mostly felt relief. And that relief made him feel slightly guilty. But only slightly.

Puck asked, “Do we know for certain that he’s dead?”

They all looked at Officer Miller.  She took a deep breath, “Well, his body has not been discovered yet.  Warren County Search and Rescue are looking now. However, the Jeremiah Morrow Bridge is the tallest in Ohio.  About 240 feet up. Nothing below but forest and river. I’m certain he couldn’t survive that fall.”

 

Once Officer Miller left, Robert and Tori decided to take Leah home.  Leah made her rounds, giving everyone hugs, thanking them for their concern.  She went to Kurt last, leaning in, putting her hands on his shoulders, she pressed her cheek to his, and whispered in his ear, “Kurt, we need you to wake up.  Sebastian needs you. We all do.” She kissed his cheek before pulling away.

 

………....

  


Early the next morning, Sebastian was asleep sitting in his chair, leaning his torso onto the bed with his head resting on his bent arm.  His other hand still held firmly onto Kurt’s.

“Mmm… Bas?”  

“Yeah, Baby?”  Sebastian answered without opening his eyes.  Suddenly he shot straight up with a gasp. “Kurt?!”  His wide, green, eyes met Kurt’s blue-green eyes. “Am I dreaming?”

Kurt looked at him lovingly, and then frowned a bit.  He looked around the room, “I don’t know…”

“Oh my God, no, I’m not dreaming!”  Sebastian stood and kissed Kurt gently on the lips, then cheek, then forehead… then lips again.  “How are you feeling? Let me call the nurse.” He pressed the call button on the bed’s remote.

Kurt’s eyes widened at the memory of the day before, “Sugar…”

“She’s right there, Baby.  She’ll be okay. They’re keeping her for observation.  You saved her, Kurt.”

“Did he….?”  Kurt looked worried as he looked at his best friend lying in the bed next to him.

“No.”  Sebastian grinned and squeezed Kurt’s hand.  “He didn’t rape her. He left after you were knocked out.”  Kurt sighed in relief. “Apparently, you got some good licks in too.”

“Bas, my head.”  Kurt grimaced and grabbed his head with his other hand. “Ohh, my hand.”

The nurse spoke through the speaker on the remote, “Can I help you?”

“He’s awake!”  Sebastian said happily.

“We’ll be right there.”

“Hey Kiddo!”  Burt said as he woke up.  “Welcome back!” He walked over and hugged Kurt.

“Hey, Dad.”  He looked at Sebastian and then back to Burt, “How long have I been out?”

“Mmm, about 20 hours,”  he answered as he ran his hand through Kurt’s hair.  

“20?  I’m so sorry.  You guys must have been worried.”  Kurt was looking back and forth between them.  

“You have no idea.  But don’t apologize, Bud.  You’re brain needed time to heal.”  Burt patted him on the shoulder.

“Angel?”  A small, weak, voice came from the other half of the room.

“Sugar?”  Kurt looked over at her, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I will be.”

“Princess!”  Puck smiled. Kurt returned the smile with a tired, soft grin.  

Vinny and Cindy woke up at this point too, happy to see Kurt awake.  

“Take me closer.”  Sugar said to Puck.  Puck got up and picked her up bridal style.  He took her to Kurt, and laid her down next to him.  

“He’s so dramatic,”  Sugar playfully rolled her eyes, and Kurt smirked.  They embraced with such love for each other, and pure relief that they were going to be okay.  Kurt kissed her on the head as she snuggled into him. Sebastian and Puck were smiling, looking at the pair fondly when the nurse came in.  She asked him some questions, checked his vitals. “All looks good! I will let the doctor know. He should be making his rounds soon anyway.  I’ll bring you some pain medicine in just a bit. ”

Once she left, Sugar looked at Kurt, “Thank you, Angel, for coming to my rescue.  I don’t want to even think about how far he would have taken it if you hadn’t shown up.  You saved me, Angel.”

“You know I’d do anything for you.  I wish I had stayed and made sure you got into the classroom.  I’m sorry.”

“No.  It’s not your fault.  You saved the day, Kurt.  You fought hard for me. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Sugar .”

 

Phone calls were made, and word spread quickly that Kurt was awake and doing well.  Carol, Finn, and Sam showed up first. Carol wasn’t sure if the Smythe’s were coming back soon, so she brought Sebastian some of Sam’s clothes, and a new toothbrush, as well as some things for Burt. Finn was like a large Great Dane puppy, clumsily making his way through the room to Kurt.  He leaned in and gave his brother a hug, “I am so glad you’re awake, little brother! I was so worried!”

Kurt smiled and hugged him back, “Thanks, Finn.”  

“Are you feeling okay?”  Sam asked as he hugged him.

“My head hurts, but it’s getting better with the pain medicine.”  

Finn and Sam both went over and gave Sugar hugs.  They had not been allowed to see her the night before.

Sebastian quietly asked Carol if Sam and Finn knew about Leah.  She said she didn’t tell them because they were asleep when she got home.  Once everyone was settled, Sebastian said, “My family is on their way, and I want to talk to everyone before they get here.  Some of you know, but some of you don’t.” He looked at Kurt, and gave his hand a squeeze and a kiss. Kurt looked worried, and Sebastian quietly added, “It’s okay, Babe.” He looked at Sam and then took a deep breath.  Sam frowned, wondering why Sebastian was looked at him like that. Sebastian continued, “Mack showed up at Leah’s school yesterday.”

There was a collective gasp from Kurt, Sam, and Finn.  Everyone else already knew. “Bas! Is she okay?” Tears formed in Kurt’s eyes.

“Did he touch her?”  Sam’s fists were turning white at the knuckles, and Sebastian couldn’t help but be happy with that reaction.  

“She’s okay.  He didn’t get to her.  She saw him in the hallway and was able to get into her room and lock the door.  She and her roommate, Claire, put both of the dressers in front of the door, and Claire called the police, who were already in communication with Lima PD, just in case.”

Kurt looked confused all the sudden, so Sebastian continued, “The police came yesterday to talk to us.  They put Officer Miller and Officer Weston on the case.” Kurt grinned at that, “I was telling them about Mack and what happened Saturday night, about him wanting Leah, about Sam and Leah…”  He looked at Sam, “Anyway, I was thinking he didn’t know where Leah went to school, so it wasn’t too big of a deal when it came to her. But then it dawned on me that Mandy goes to school there, and that he could easily just ask her brother.  That got Officers Miller and Weston to call the Oldenburg PD and give them a heads up. They had an extra eye on the campus, which is why they got there so quickly last night.”

“So they caught him?”  Finn asked.

You could feel the air change in the room.  Sebastian climbed into bed with Kurt and held him.  It felt so good to have him in his arms. Sebastian looked at Burt and Burt finished for him, “No.  But you don’t need to worry about him anymore.”

Kurt frowned, “What does that mean?”

“Bud, Mack got pulled over last night and took off.  They chased him for awhile and then when he got to a bridge, apparently the tallest one in Ohio, he got out of the car and jumped over the edge.”

Kurt said nothing and had a blank look on his face.  It was Finn who spoke first, “Wait. He killed himself?”

Burt said, “They haven’t found his body yet, but Officer Miller said there’s no way he could have survived that jump.”

Sam left the room in a hurry and Finn started to go after him.  “Let him go, Finn,” Puck said. “He probably needs some air.”

Sebastian looked at Kurt and kissed his forehead, “Are you okay, Babe?”

Kurt quietly said, “I don’t know how I feel.  I kind of feel sorry for him, but I’m...relieved?  That sounds horrible of me.”

“I understand, Babe.  I’m in the same boat.”  Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s arm and kissed him again.

 

………….

 

Sam was on his way out the front door of the hospital when he ran into the Smythe’s, who were coming in.  He and Leah instantly locked eyes, and Sam wrapped his arms around her.

Robert cleared his throat, “Uh, we’ll meet you upstairs, Leah.” They heard a muffled, “K”.  Robert and Tori grinned, and went on inside.

“Are you okay?”  Sam asked as he kissed the top of her head.

Leah pulled back a little, looking him in the eye,  “I was so scared… But I’m fine. Really.”

Sam sighed, “God, Leah, if he had touched you too…”

Leah laid her head back on Sam’s chest, “He didn’t, Sam.  Not even a finger.” They held each other silently for a minute, and then Leah asked, “Did you hear about him?”

“I did.”  Sam pulled away a bit and took Leah by the hand.  They walked over to a bench in front of the hospital.  “Leah, all of this has made me think about what’s really important.   _You_ are important.  I don’t want to be your pretend boyfriend.  I want to be your _real_ boyfriend.  We can work around the whole long distance thing.”  He paused for a second, taking both of her hands in his, “Will you be my girlfriend?  For real this time?”

Leah smiled, putting her hand on the side of Sam’s face, “I would love that, Sam.  Of course I will be your girlfriend.” She giggled a little, “For real this time. And hey, the distance thing isn’t going to be a problem anymore.”  Sam looked confused, so she quickly added, “Mom and Dad are withdrawing me from Oldenburg Academy. They were concerned about the safety of the school, since Mack was able to get in so easily.  I’ll be living at home now. We’re looking into Crawford Country Day.”

Sam was smiling ear to ear, and Leah returned the smile.  He leaned in, cupping her face gently, and kissed her. It was a soft, sweet kiss, but spoke a lot more than any words could have.

When Sam and Leah came back into the room, they were together and holding hands.  Everyone grinned, and Sam blushed.

“It’s about time.”  Sebastian said. “I’m happy for you.”

……………….

 

Later that afternoon, it was just Sebastian and Kurt in the room.  Burt headed to the garage to check on things, since Cassius couldn’t find enough coverage at the last minute. Carol had taken Sam and Finn to school before starting her shift at work.  The Smythe’s went home to figure out what to do next for Leah’s schooling, and Sugar had been released from the hospital with strict orders to take it easy for a few days. It was a teary goodbye, with lots of promises of visiting each other every day until they returned to school, no matter how many days it was going to be.  

Sebastian was sitting in the chair, holding Kurt’s hand.  He was looking lovingly at his boyfriend with a small smile on his face.  

Kurt looked at him and chuckled, “What?”

Sebastian just smiled bigger, “I love you.”

Kurt smiled back, “I know.  I love you, too.” He scooted over a little, “Come hold me.”

“It would be my pleasure.”  Sebastian climbed into bed with Kurt again, and wrapped his arms around him.  Kurt snuggled into him, kissing his chest over his heart. “Mmm. I’m so glad you’re doing okay.  I was so worried, Babe.”

“I know.  I’m sorry I worried you.”

“Don’t apologize for anything.  None of this is your fault.” Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s arm as he spoke.  

“I know, but I hate that I made you, and everyone else, worry.  I’m sure it was really hard. I can’t imagine if the roles were reversed.  I would have been a hot mess.”

They were quiet for a few minutes, and then Sebastian asked, “When you were still out of it, could you hear anything?  Could you hear what we were saying to you?”

“No.  I don’t remember anything like that.  I think maybe it was more like a feeling.  A sense of love, I guess. That’s probably why I was so calm when I woke up.”  He paused and then frowned, “Why? Did I miss an important conversation or something?”

Sebastian chuckled, “Nothing we hadn’t said already.  I was just telling you how much I love you and need you.  I reminded you of the plans we’ve made, and all the plans we’ve yet to make.”  Sebastian kissed Kurt on the top of the head, “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.  You do realize that, right? I mean, I know we’ve talked about it, but you do know I’m serious, right?”

Kurt smiled softly and looked up at Sebastian and winked at him as he said, “I do.”  Sebastian couldn’t help but laugh.

 

Burt made it back just as lunch was being brought in by the hospital staff.  Sebastian hopped out of bed, causing a whine from Kurt at loss. “Sorry, Babe.  Time for you to eat. You didn’t have much breakfast.”

“Hmm. I guess.”  Kurt made a face.  He really didn’t want to eat.  

The tray was put on the table, and Sebastian rolled it up to Kurt and opened the lid to the plate.

“Yum.”  Kurt said dryly, and both Burt and Sebastian chuckled.  

Sebastian sat and looked at Burt, “Everything okay at the garage?”

Burt answered, “Yeah, it’s fine.  All the guys send their love, Kurt.  They are all picking up a few extra hours to cover you and Puck.  I think I might see if Sam and Finn want some of the extra time too.” Kurt nodded as he ate his salad.  Burt opened a bag and pulled out a sandwich and handed it to Sebastian, “Here kid. I figured you’d be hungry.”

“Thanks, Burt.”  

They ate in silence for awhile, Kurt stopping after eating his salad.  Sebastian said, “You know, Kurt,” Pushing the tray toward him, “there’s always room for Jello.”  Kurt rolled his eyes and ate the Jello and Burt chuckled.

“So, what’s this I hear about Disney World?” Burt asked as they were cleaning up their lunch.  He had heard Sebastian talk to Kurt about while he was still unconscious.

Sebastian looked at Kurt, “You didn’t tell him?”  Kurt blushed a little and shook his head ‘no’.

Seb looked at Burt, “I want to take Kurt to Walt Disney World for Spring Break.  Would that be okay?”

Burt grinned, “You’re spoiling him.”  Sebastian looked worried, and Kurt looked a little guilty.  Burt continued, “Don’t give me those looks. You are. I didn’t say I had a problem with that though.”  Seb looked relieved as Burt explained, “Kurt, you deserve to be spoiled. No guilty looks, got it? You’re a good kid.  You always have been. Don’t forget that I’ve been around for all the crap you’ve been through, too. When your mom died, you took over. You were just a kid, and you were cooking and cleaning, then eventually working at the shop.  You grew up way before you should have had to. Then with all crap you’ve been through the last few years...God, Kurt. You deserve a freaking vacation.”

Sebastian smirked, “I agree.  And I plan on spoiling you a lot.”

Kurt shook his head, “Not too much.  I’ll let you take me to Disney. I’ll live in the penthouse with you.  But I’ll always work.”

“I know you will.”  Sebastian smiled, “And that’s another reason why you fit right in with my family.  Like I told you, we don’t have to work, but that’s not who we are. I respect the fact that you want to work.  Now you just need to respect the fact that I plan on always spoiling you.”

Burt smiled, “So tell me about this trip.”

Sebastian’s eyes widened for a second, “Oh, I forgot to tell you.  There were no more Polynesian DVC rooms available, so I went ahead and booked the Grand Floridian.  I hope that’s okay.”

“As long as we can go to the Polynesian’s beach one night to watch the fireworks, that’s fine by me.”  Kurt smiled. “I’m so excited about this trip.”

“You’ve already lost me, and we just started talking about it…”  Burt shrugged.

Sebastian smiled, “Basically, we’re staying a deluxe resort that’s right next to Magic Kingdom.  We’ll stay the full week, and we got park hopper passes, so we can go wherever, whenever - as in more than one park a day, if we want.”

“You already got the tickets?”  Kurt asked.

“Yeah, a couple of days ago.  That’s when I booked the resort too.  Where is your phone, I’ll download the Disney World app, and you can book dining reservations, fast passes, look at maps.  You’ll have fun with it.”

Kurt looked around, “I have no idea where my stuff is.”

“I think they put your stuff in a bag, and it’s in the closet.”  Burt said, as he got up to go look. “Yep.” He dug through the bag, found the phone, and handed it to Sebastian.

“Thanks.  I’ll download the app, while you take a nap.”  

“Okay,”  Kurt yawned, as if on cue.  He laid the bed back a bit and turned on his side, closing his eyes.  Burt just grinned and shook his head. He loved how Sebastian always knew what Kurt needed, and got him to do it.  Kurt could be stubborn, but not as much with Sebastian. Little did he know why. Not that it mattered to him what the reason was.  

…………….

 

Kurt was still sleeping when Robert returned to the hospital.  Sebastian had fallen asleep in the chair, still holding Kurt’s hand.  Burt looked up and smiled, “Hi, Robert. How is Leah doing?”

“She’s doing fine.  I’m not sure if she’s really okay, or things just haven’t caught up with her yet.  I’m not quite sure Mack’s death has really sunk in for any of them yet, to be honest.”

“Yeah.  I think it will hit Kurt most when he goes back to school.  I think I’m going to ask him if he wants to go back to Dalton.  Sebastian doesn’t think he’ll want to, and he’s probably right, but I’m going to ask anyway.”

“Dad?”  Sebastian asked groggily.  

“Yeah, Seb.  I brought you a change of clothes, but I see you’re wearing Sam’s stuff.  I’ll leave it here, just in case. I also brought your shower stuff, and I stopped by Dalton to get your work.  They send their love and well wishes to Kurt and Sugar. They’re excusing your absence as long as you turn your work in.”

“Okay, thanks.  I’m going to jump in the shower.”  He smirked, “The nurse said as long as she’s not in here, it never happened.”

While Sebastian was in the shower, Burt turned to Robert, “Thanks for offering your penthouse for them to stay in when they move to New York.  Between that, and him being with Seb, I feel a lot better about him going to the big city.”

“It’s our pleasure.  It sits unused, and one day, it’ll be theirs anyway.”  Robert was sitting looking at Kurt. He was looking at him with fatherly love, and Burt couldn’t help but feel warmth in his chest because of it.  

“Ya know, I know I’ve said that I appreciate you guys before, but I’m going to say it again.  You really are an amazing family. You’ve accepted Kurt for exactly who he is, and love him like he’s part of the family.  I couldn’t be happier for him if I tried.” Burt smiled softly, looking at Kurt.

Robert turned to Burt, “We do love him, and he is part of the family.  I know they aren’t married...yet...but I already think of him as my son-in-law.”

“We think of Sebastian the same way.  There’s no way I would allow things like them spending the night together, or trips together, with anyone else.  Their love is pretty special.”

“That it is.”  Robert grinned.

 

Sebastian was freshly showered and doing his homework when Kurt woke up.  “Bas?”

“Yeah, Babe, I’m right here.”  

“Mmm.  Homework?”  Kurt asked.

“Yeah.  There’s not much.  I should be done soon.”

“Only because it’s you.  Anyone else would be working on it for hours.”  Kurt grinned.

“That does seem to be true.”  Burt said, looking up from his phone.

“Studies have always just been easy for me, I guess.  I don’t have a photographic memory, but once I read something, I tend to remember it.”

“And you aren’t sure of med school anymore?”  Burt asked, hoping he wasn’t pushing an issue where he shouldn’t.

“What?”  Kurt asked.

“I just don’t know.  It’s a long time to be in school.”  He spoke to Kurt directly, “I want to be able to graduate and start living life with you as soon as possible.”

“Bas,”  Kurt reached for his hand, which Sebastian quickly provided. “We’ll be living our life together whether you’re in school, graduated, working… It’s not going to make a difference.  I want you doing what is going to make you happy. If being a pediatrician isn’t it, then fine. But if it is, then we’ll be just fine while you’re in school.”

Sebastian stood for a second and kissed Kurt.  When he sat back down, he simply said, “I’ll think about it.” and got back to his work.


	37. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Straighten your crown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of chapter is a compilation, in part, of some beloved quotes I keep handy. Comments and Kudos make me happy!

 

 

By the time school let out, Kurt’s hospital room looked like it had become a flower shop.  There were flowers and even a few balloons from the New Directions, McKinley staff, the Cheerios, the Warblers, Headmaster Larson and Mrs. Scott, the crew at Hummel Tire and Lube, the Motta family, the Smythe family, and Chris.  Apparently, Sugar’s living room looked very similar.

“This was so sweet of everyone.”  Kurt said as he ran his fingers over the edge of the lilies that had just arrived from Chris.  He smiled, “Good thing I’m not allergic.”

“Everyone loves you, Kurt.  Sam texted and said everyone is asking how you are.  Even some football guys.” Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s arm as he spoke.  

“Wow. I’m not sure that’s a good thing.”

Sebastian frowned, “Why?  What do you mean?”

Kurt shrugged, “I don’t know.  It’s just been my experience that you want to be completely off the jock’s radar.”

“Hmm.  Well, I have a feeling they’ll leave you alone.”

“Yeah, hopefully.  I don’t think the guys are going to let me out of their sight for the rest of the school year, so it probably doesn’t matter.”

“Sebastian leaned over and kissed his cheek, “I’m sure they’ll be extra protective.”

 

“Okay, let’s get you up and walking.”  A nurse said as she walked into the room.  She was a round woman, with short, curly, brown hair, and kind eyes.  She smiled, “My name is Sandy, hun. Are you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,”  Kurt smiled a little.

Sandy lowered the rails of Kurt’s bed, and held out her hand for him.  He took it, and swung his legs over the edge and slowly stood. He was a bit wobbly, and felt a bit lightheaded.  

“You okay, Babe?”  Sebastian was concerned.  He made his way to Kurt’s side of the bed, and grabbed his arm to steady him.

“And you are…?”  Sandy asked. She eyed him suspiciously.

Burt glared, “His boyfriend.  Sebastian,” He crossed his arms, challenging her to say something about it.  

She looked at Sebastian and raised her eyebrows.  The boys were both looking at Sandy, waiting for a snarky remark.  Instead, she looked at Kurt and wiggled her eyebrows, “Impressive.”

Kurt smiled and laughed, “Yes, he is.  Gorgeous, isn’t he?” Sebastian blushed a bit and shook his head, and Burt laughed.

“He is,”  Sandy said, “but you’re not so bad yourself.  The black eye does nothing for ya, but you’re still a looker.”  It was Sebastian’s turn to laugh.

They walked the hallway, with Sebastian on one side, holding Kurt’s arm, and Sandy on the other.  It felt good for Kurt to stretch his muscles, but he was still a bit lightheaded. Once they returned to his room, they helped Kurt back into bed.  Just that short walk wore him out, so he took a quick nap.

Sandy came back into the room a short bit later.  “There are a ton of people in the waiting room, waiting to see him.  I think he needs his rest, though.”

“I’m going to head out for a bit.  I need a shower, and I need to check on things at the garage,”  Burt said as he got up and stretched, “I’ll let everyone know that he’s napping.  Once he wakes up, maybe you can go out there bring back a couple of people at a time, Seb.”

“Sounds good.”  Sebastian said.

Once Burt was out in the waiting room, he was struck by the number of people there.  He was so grateful for their support of Kurt. He reminded himself that it was only a couple of years ago that the waiting room would have been empty.  “Hi everyone,” Burt began, and the crowd sat up and paid attention. “Kurt is sleeping right now, so we can’t have anyone go back yet. I’m headed to the garage for awhile, but Seb is back there with him still.  He’ll come out and get a couple of people at a time once Kurt’s awake.” He paused for a minute, “Thanks for coming, everyone. It means a lot to all of us that you care so much.”

Mercedes went to Burt and gave him a big hug, “We love him, Mr. H.”  Burt just nodded and walked out. He was afraid the tears might start if he said anything more, and everyone understood.

 

When Kurt woke up, Sebastian was looking at him.  Kurt smiled a small smile, then stretched. “You are so beautiful.”  Sebastian said softly.

“Even with my black eye?”  Kurt teased.

Sebastian smiled, “Yep.”  Then the smile faded, “This the third one you’ve had since we’ve known each other.  Hopefully it’s the last.”

“Hopefully.”  

“Your dad left to take care of some things for a bit, but Sandy said there’s lots of people in the waiting room here to see you.  Are you ready for some company? I can bring back a couple people at a time.”

“Sure.  I just don’t want to talk to anyone about what happened though.”  Kurt was a little anxious, even though he was happy to see his friends.

“I’ll make sure they know that topic is off limits.”  Sebastian leaned over and kissed his boyfriend, “I’ll be right back, Babe.”

 

Everyone looked up and got quiet when Sebastian came into the waiting room.  They had all gathered around and been watching videos of Kurt singing. “Hey guys.  Kurt’s awake now...Wait..What are you doing?”

“We’re watching these amazing videos of Kurt singing.  Did you see the one of him doing Bad Romance? Holy. Cow.”  Chris smiled with his eyes wide.

“Yeah,”  Sebastian chuckled.  “I’ve seen them all… A few times.”  Everyone laughed. “I even had him wear that ‘Likes Boys’ shirt from the Born This Way video for me once. I told him he’s never getting rid of it.  Anyway, he’s looking forward to seeing everyone. I’ll take back a couple people at a time. Just so you know, yesterday’s events, or anything related to it, are off limits as a topic of discussion.  He’s not ready to talk about it with everyone yet.” Everyone nodded that they understood. “Jeff and Nick? You want to come back first? Jeff you look like you’re going to explode if you don’t see your ‘Kurtsie’ soon.”  Sebastian smiled.

“He is,”  Nick said, making an exaggerated face.

“I am,”  Jeff agreed, nodding quickly.  

“Let’s go, then.”  Sebastian patted Jeff on the shoulder as he stood.  They followed Sebastian into Kurt’s room.

“Kurtsie!”  Jeff said as he made his way to Kurt’s bed.  He leaned over and hugged Kurt for several long seconds.  He kissed him on the cheek, and then stood. “I was so worried about you.  I’m glad you’re doing better.”

Kurt smiled, “Thanks.  I am doing better. Just tired, and a little lightheaded when I’m up and about.  Thanks for coming to see me.”

“Of course!”  Jeff smiled.

“You’ll be happy to know who else is here to see you,”  Nick said. Kurt raised an eyebrow and Nick continued, “Chris. With Thad. Together.”

Kurt smiled ear to ear, “Yay!”  Sebastian chuckled. Kurt looked at him, “What?  All our friends deserve to be as happy as us.”

Nick and Jeff stayed for a few more minutes, and were just about to leave, when another flower arrangement arrived.  

“Do I even know anyone else?”  Kurt asked as Sebastian set them on the windowsill with some of the other flowers.  

He grabbed the card and took it to Kurt.  He opened it, and as he read, his eyes widened.  “Bas...It’s….It’s from...It’s from the cast of RENT!  How on Earth did they know?”

Sebastian looked just as surprised.  “I don’t know, Babe. Wow…” He bent over and looked at the card.

“Are you serious?”  Nick asked.

“RENT…”  Jeff said, dumbfounded.

Nick got on his social media accounts, and after a minute or two, he said, “Did you know Rachel posted something on Twitter about you being in the hospital?  She tagged you in it.”

“Uhg.  No. It doesn’t say too much, does it?”  Kurt asked.

“It says, ‘Pray for @KEHummel and @SugarMotta.  Both are still in the hospital and Kurt hasn’t woken up yet.’  It was posted yesterday afternoon.” Nick looked up at Kurt.

Kurt sighed, “I guess that’s okay.  It’s my friends that follow me anyway.”

Sebastian added, “But so do Chris and Ben from the show.  I bet they saw it since Rachel tagged you in it. That was really sweet of them to send you flowers.”  

“You’re right.  I forgot they follow me.  That was so sweet. I’ll have to tweet them a ‘thank you’ so they know I’m awake.”  Kurt grinned. Sebastian leaned in and kissed him.

“Who are Chris and Ben?”  Jeff asked.

“Chris plays Collin, and Ben plays Angel.  They were really nice.” Kurt smiled, leaning back into his bed.  

“That’s amazing, Kurtsie.”  Jeff leaned over and kissed Kurt on the cheek again.  “We’ll get going, so more people can come visit before you get too worn out.  I love you.”

“Love you, too.  Both of you.”

 

Once they were gone, Sebastian ran a hand through Kurt’s hair and Kurt leaned into the touch, “I’m going to bring back a few more people at a time.  That way you can rest sooner.”

Kurt laid his head back on the pillow looked at him lovingly, “Thanks for always taking care of me, Bas.  I love you so much.”

Sebastian closed his eyes for a few seconds and took a deep breath, “I love you, too, Baby.  I can’t tell you how happy you make me every time I hear you say that. There were several long hours yesterday when I thought I might not hear those words cross those beautiful lips again.  I know it seems like I’m exaggerating, but when you weren’t waking up…” Sebastian had tears in his eyes, “I was terrified.”

A tear fell as Kurt reached for Sebastian.  When they embraced, Kurt said, “I will never leave you, Bas.  Not if I can help it. You’re stuck with me.”

“It’s the best kind of stuck,”  Sebastian chuckled as kissed Kurt one more time before going to get the next group of friends.

 

Chris, Thad, Trent, and Cameron, were the next group that came back.  Chris sucked in a breath when he saw Kurt. It broke his heart.

“How are you feeling?”  Thad asked.

“Mmm, pretty good, considering.  Thanks for the flowers.” He looked at Chris, “Lilies are my favorite, Chris.  Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.  We’re glad you’re awake and doing better.”

Kurt looked at Chris, who looked uncomfortable.  “Are you okay, Chris?”

Chris paused and then said, “Shouldn’t I be asking _you_ that?  You’re the one in the hospital bed, and you’re still concerned about whether _I’m_ doing okay?”  Sebastian smirked at the comment.  Of course Kurt would ask that. He was always putting others first.  “For the first time, I’m glad this friendship is new. I don’t think I could have handled seeing you in worse shape, and right now it’s just a black eye as an obvious injury.”  Kurt gave him an empathetic smile, and Thad put his hand on Chris’ shoulder. It was a gesture that didn’t go unnoticed by Kurt and Sebastian.

“He’s doing better.  That’s what’s important.”  Sebastian tried to ease the conversation.  He didn’t want it to go down the path of discussing the other attacks.  

“I am,”  Kurt looked at Sebastian with a grateful smile, and then turned back to Chris and Thad, “It looks like you two aren’t doing too bad, either.”  He wiggled his eyebrows and everyone laughed.

Thad blushed, “Yeah, thanks for fixing us up.”

“You’re welcome.  It’s my goal to make all of my friends as happy as Bas and I are.” He smiled as Sebastian took his hand.

“Well, in that case,”  Cameron said, “Is that Quinn girl in the waiting room single?  Because, DAMN. She’s hot.”

Kurt giggled, “Yes she is.  I’ll see what I can do.” Cameron smiled and nodded. Kurt turned to Trent, “Any special requests from you?  We could just fix up everyone between the Warblers and New Directions.”

Trent smiled, “I think I’m good, thanks.  I’m more of a ‘if it happens, it happens’ kind of guy.”

 

Sebastian managed to get all the friends in the waiting room in to see Kurt within an hour, including Mr. Schuester and Coach Sylvester.  Both Kurt and Sebastian were surprised at how calm Coach was, although there seemed to be a storm brewing in her eyes.

By the time dinner arrived, everyone had come and gone except family, who were on their way.  When Sebastian took the lid off the plate and rolled the table up to Kurt, Kurt just sighed. He did not want to eat any of that...food.  

“I know.  The entire world knows that hospital food sucks, but you have to eat, Babe.  You have to build some strength and energy, and that starts with food and rest.”  Sebastian spoke as he set everything up for Kurt.

Kurt didn’t say anything in return.  He moved the food around on the plate and picked at it.  Sebastian looked at him, “Do you want me to feed it to you?  The fork actually has to reach your mouth in order for it to count.”  He was only half joking.

Kurt sighed, but took a few bites.

 

Just as Kurt had eaten as much as Sebastian was going to get him to eat, and male nurse came in and introduced himself as Tony.  “I’ll be helping you with your shower tonight, Mr. Hummel.”

Kurt’s eyes widened, and he immediately looked down, his body stiff and tense.  “Babe, are you okay?” Sebastian asked softly as he left his chair and went to Kurt’s side.

Kurt didn’t say anything.  He quickly shook his head ‘no’.  Sebastian understood. “It’s okay, Baby.  I’ll take care of it,” He whispered. He walked toward Tony and said, “May I speak to you for a moment?” He gestured toward the hallway.

Tony frowned, “Sure.”

They stepped out into the hallway and Sebastian turned to him and asked, “Is there a female nurse that would be able to help Kurt?”  Tony looked at him questioning his motives, so he continued, “He, uh, he’s pretty much been through hell, all at the hands of men. Assault, attempted rape.  He’s prone to panic attacks, and I can tell by the way he tensed up when you came in and said you would be helping him, he’ll be having one soon, unless we can get a woman to help.  It’s no offense to you. Sorry.”

Tony nodded, “I understand.  I’ll see what I can do. It may mean he had to wait for his shower for a bit though.”

“That’s fine.  Thank you.” Sebastian went back in to Kurt, who was curled up on his side.  

“Please.  I don’t want him to…”  

“I know, Babe.”  He rubbed Kurt’s back as he spoke, “Just take a deep breath.  I took care of it. He’s going to see if he can get a female nurse to help.  It may mean you have to wait for your shower though.”

Kurt took a deep breath and nodded, “Thank you.”

Sebastian kissed him on the temple, “Anything for you.”

 

……………

 

Puck leaned back in the corner of Sugar’s large sectional couch.   His back was against one side, one leg on the couch against the back, and the other leg hanging over the edge.  Sugar laid on her side in between his legs, resting her torso against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her protectively.  He leaned down and kissed her forehead and quietly asked, “Are you doing okay, Sugar?”

She took a deep breath, releasing it as she closed her eyes, “I don’t know, Puck.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t know.”

Puck rubbed her arm softly and spoke gently, “I think it would be good for you, Sugar.  I don’t think it’s healthy to keep everything bottled up inside.”

She was silent for awhile, and then spoke in her small strangled voice, “I was so scared, Puck.  He was so rough, and looked so evil. I couldn’t get free, and it hurt so bad. When his fingers…”  Puck was closing his eyes, trying to control his temper. He wanted to pummel someone, but really, there was no one he could fairly hurt anymore, now that Mack was gone.  Sugar continued even though she couldn’t finish that sentence, “And then Angel showed up, and he really was like a real angel, saving me. I will never forget the look on his face, Puck.  I’ve never seen him look like that before. He was mix of horrified, angry, determined….When he was hitting Mack, he looked like a boxer. I would have never imagined him like that. But he saw me hurt, that was his weakness.  Helping me, that gave Mack the advantage. Mack was so...evil. He looked possessed. And when he grabbed Kurt’s head and slammed it...It was all in slow motion to me. My Angel...I thought he was dead. I tried to get to him. I did…”  She was sobbing by the time she finished.

Puck held her tight and rocked her back and forth, gently.  “I’m so sorry, Sugar. I’m so sorry. If he were alive, he wouldn’t be for long.  He was really fucked up in the head, Sugar. I need you to do something for me, okay?”

“What?”  she squeaked, looking up at her boyfriend.

He looked her in the eyes and ran his hand down her face, “Promise that he will not take anything else from you.  Don’t let him live in your head. Don’t let him take too much of your time. You deserve time to process, grieve, be angry… whatever you want, or need, to do...But once it’s done, it’s done.  No dwelling, no moping. You get on with your amazing life. You live your dream. Let that be his punishment. You get to do those things, surrounded by people that love you, and he doesn't.”

 

………………………

 

Kurt was surrounded by his boyfriend and his family later that evening when Officers Miller and Weston came into the room.  “Kurt! It’s good to see you’re awake.” Officer Miller said with a genuine smile on her face.

He returned the smile, “Thanks.”

“How are you feeling?”  Officer Weston asked.

“Pretty good.  Having a shower made me feel a lot better, but I still get a bit lightheaded.  I’ll be fine, though.”

“Good.  Well,” He addressed the room, “we wanted to let you know that a body was found late this morning.  It was positively ID’d as Mack Robinson.”

Sebastian squeezed Kurt’s hand.  Burt, again, was the first to speak, “Well.  I guess we won’t have to worry about a trial this time around.  It’s a damn shame.” No one in the room knew if Burt meant that it was shame that they couldn’t take Mack to court, or if it was a shame that Mack was dead.  Either way, they agreed.

Robert walked the officers out to the waiting room area, “Leah and Tori are at home.  Have you stopped by to tell them yet?”

“No, sir.”  Officer Weston answered.

“Okay.  No need to stop by then.  I will let them know.”

“Okay.  Is Leah doing okay?”

“She is.  I’m a little worried that it just hasn’t hit her yet.  We’ll see how she handles the news tonight, but I may have her speak to a psychologist about it.  I don’t want it to fester inside.”

“Smart move,” Officer Miller said, “I hope the others get help too.”

 

…………………….

 

Sugar and Puck were in the kitchen baking when Officer Miller and Officer Weston arrived at the Motta residence.  Vinny brought them into the kitchen. Sugar never stopped doing her task, mixing ingredients together by hand as they spoke.

“Sugar, how are you feeling?”  Officer Miller asked.

Sugar shrugged, “Alright, I guess.”  They looked at Puck, who shook his head in a subtle manner.  

“Well, we wanted to let you know that Mack’s body was found and identified today.”  Officer Weston paused, “I’m really sorry you had to go through all of this, Sugar. No one should have to ever go through anything like that.”

Sugar nodded, but didn’t look up from her task.  “Thanks.”

Both officers gave Vinny and Puck a sympathetic smile,  “We’ll leave you guys to your baking. Have a good night.”  Vinny walked them to the door to see them off.

Puck wrapped his arms around Sugar from behind.  “I love you, Sugar.”

Sugar took a deep breath and whispered, “Love you, too.”

 

…………………….

 

The next day,  Puck was at Dalton delivering the baked goods he and Sugar had made the night before.  He had texted Nick and Jeff, asking if they could help, since he had never been to Dalton before, and he knew Sebastian would still be with Kurt.

They hugged Puck when they saw him.  “How’s Sweets?” Jeff asked.

Puck sighed and shook his head, “Not good.  I don’t know, man. She’s shutting down. She barely talks, doesn’t smile.  I don’t know what to do. I think as soon as Princess is out of the hospital, I’ll see if he can go see her.  Maybe if he talks to her…”

“I’m sure it was traumatizing.  Not only the attempted rape, but seeing Kurt get hurt.”  Nick put a comforting hand on Puck’s shoulder.

“Just keep being there for her, Puck.  She’ll need time. I’m sure it’s really hard on her.” Jeff added.  

“Yeah.  I’m so nervous about when she goes back to school.  Princess too.” Puck added more muffins to the display.

“Do you think Mack will be able to come back to school?”  Nick asked. “I mean, if he came here, it wouldn’t be allowed, but McKinley seems to let anything happen.”  

Puck paused and cleared his throat, “Uh, actually, Mack is dead.”

Nick and Jeff’s eyes widened.  Their first thought was _who killed him._   They knew how pissed everyone was.

“He went after Leah that night.  Showed up at her school. He didn’t get to her, thankfully.  She and her roommate called the cops, locked the door, and put their dressers in front of it. He took off when the cops showed up, and on his way back he got pulled over.  Apparently there was a car chase. When he made it to a bridge, he pulled over, got out of the car, and jumped. They found his body yesterday.”

Nick and Jeff stood frozen like statues, staring wide eyed at Puck.  “Oh my God.” Jeff whispered.

“How is everyone taking it?”  Nick asked as he regained his thought process.

Puck shrugged, “I don’t know.  I’m not sure anyone at school knows yet.  I mean, the police came and told us at the hospital, and then came to Sugar’s house once the body was found and confirmed to be him.  As for Sugar, she doesn’t really show much emotion right now. I think Princess is a mix of relieved and sad? It’s all so fu…” He stopped and looked around, “messed up.  As for me, I’m frustrated to no end. I want to help Sugar, but she’s shutting out the world. I want to punch someone, make them pay, but the idiot took that from me too.”

“Man, I’m so sorry, Puck.  This is all so messed up. If you guys need anything, please let us know.  We’d love to come visit Sugar when she’s up for it.” Nick gave him a sympathetic smile and a pat on the back.

“Thanks.  I’ll let you know.”

By the time they were finished and they were walking Puck out, guys were starting to show up, anxious to get their day started.  There were some whispers and watching because of Puck’s presence. He didn’t exactly fit in at Dalton. “Everyone is staring.” Puck said.

“Want to give them something to talk about?”  Jeff said with a giggle.

Puck looked at him and raised an eyebrow.  Jeff winked and grabbed his hand as they walked.  Nick laughed, but instead of telling him to stop, he went to Puck’s side and held his other hand.  Puck threw his head back and laughed. “Man, if I wasn’t taken, I would totally push this further, just to see their faces.” Nick and Jeff both looked a bit surprised by that statement.  Instead of taking it further, Puck swung their hands as they walked. The comic relief was was just what he needed. “Thanks for the laugh, guys. I needed that.” They all hugged goodbye, and Niff went back into the building to answer the million questions they knew were about to head their way.  

 

………………

 

Kurt was released from the hospital later that day, with strict instructions to take it easy, and not to return to school for a day or two.  He had successfully walked the hallway without getting lightheaded, and passed all physical requirements. He was happy to be heading home. Sebastian went with him, staying for dinner as requested by Carol, and, well, everyone else.  He had sent a text to a few people letting them know that Kurt was home. Within minutes, he received a text back from Puck.

 

**From Puck:**

So glad he’s home.  Can I bring Sugar to visit?  She’s a mess.

Sebastian double checked with Kurt and his family, but as he expected, it was fine.

**From Sebastian:**

That would be fine.  See you soon.

 

Kurt was on the couch surrounded by his family when Puck and Sugar arrived.  As soon as she came in, she began to cry. Kurt said nothing, but held his arms open.  She immediately fell into his lap and began to sob as he held her tight until she was ready to talk.  Everyone watched with tears in their eyes.

Eventually, Sugar leaned back and looked at Kurt, “I’m so lost, Angel.  I’m so lost in my head. I have a million thoughts running through my head at one time.  I have a million images flashing before my eyes. I am in awe of you, with all you’ve been through.  You’ve been in my shoes. You’ve been abused. You’ve been beaten. How? How do you come out of it sane, Angel?”

She started to lay her head back on his shoulder, but he said, “No.  Look at me, Sugar,” He held her face with both hands, “There are painful moments in your life that will change your entire world in a matter of minutes.  These moments will change you. Let them make you stronger, smarter, and kinder. But don’t you go and become someone that you’re not. Cry. Scream if you have to.  Then you straighten out that crown and keep moving. And when you do, one day you’ll wake up in this place where everything feels right. Your heart is calm. Your soul is lit.  Your thoughts are positive. Your vision is clear. You’re at peace with where you’ve been, and what you’ve been through, and at peace with where you’re headed. And on that day, you’ll have rediscovered your light.  You’ll embrace your inner warrior. You’ll have taken your power back, and the game will change. Straighten. Your. Crown.”


	38. Doctors and Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt and Sugar both see a psychiatrist. Burt asks Kurt if he wants to go back to Dalton, so he now has a decision to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Will Kurt go back to Dalton? Or will he stay with his friends? I already know the answer, but I'm wondering what you're thinking!  
> Comments and Kudos ALWAYS welcome! Thanks for reading!

 

Sebastian returned to school on Thursday.  He was exhausted, but happy with the progress Kurt had made.  He was especially happy that Burt and Vinny were not allowing Kurt and Sugar to return to school at all that week.

He quickly discovered that his ‘family’ was the talk of the Dalton.  Word had spread that Sebastian’s boyfriend had saved his best friend, “the Sugar Shack girl”, from being raped.  Of course, then, everyone seemed to remember who Kurt was and how they were friends with him while he was at Dalton, even if it wasn’t remotely true.  

Students were also talking about Sebastian saving Kurt earlier in the year.  Since he had been new, a lot of people didn’t know him or why he had a broken hand.  Now they were talking about how Sebastian knocked Blaine out. The stories he heard that day about Blaine, and why he was no longer at Dalton, varied.  He wondered if they talked this way when it happened, or if people were just now piecing it all together. All of the Warblers seemed to be inundated with questions from the rest of the student body.

They were also talking about Sugar and her rocker boyfriend, since he was seen delivering the baked goods in her place on Wednesday morning.  Apparently he looked “badass” and they couldn’t believe anyone would mess with Sugar, if it meant pissing him off. Then there was a strange rumor about him holding hands with Niff.  Sebastian needed clarification on that one, and Jeff happily gave it. Sebastian was thoroughly entertained.

Sebastian texted Kurt during lunch.

**To Babe:**

How are you feeling?  

**To Bas:**

Bored….

**To Babe:**

Lol Not what I meant...

**To Bas:**

Mhmm.  I feel fine. I AM bored though.  Finished all my homework already.

**To Babe:**

Maybe you could look into that Disney app I put on your phone.  Do some research and watch some YouTube videos on WDW. Figures out what you want to do while there.

**To Bas:**

Good idea!  I miss you.

**To Babe:**

I miss you too, Baby.  I love you.

**To Bas:**

Love you, too, Sir.  

**To Babe:**

Mmm.  Tease…

 

Kurt smiled at that, and then got out his laptop to start his Disney research and planning.  Before he knew it, Finn and Sam were home from school.

“Hey, dude!  How are you?”  Finn asked as he plopped down on the couch next to Kurt.  

“Fine.  How was school?”  Kurt put his laptop on the coffee table so he could talk to his brothers. Without thinking, he left it open.

Sam came and sat in the chair next to them.

“Aaah, you know.  School. People are still asking about you and Sugar though.”  Finn shrugged.

Kurt raised an eyebrow, “And what are you telling them?”

Finn shrugged again, “You know.  Just that you woke up, you are both home.  Doing better.”

Kurt nodded and then looked at Sam, “Bas said you mentioned the football guys asking about me.  Is there going to be a problem when I come back next week?”

Sam frowned and shook his head, “No way.  I think you actually earned their respect.  They seemed genuinely concerned.”

Kurt’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, “Oh.”

“Either way, we’re sticking close to you and Sugar, like, all the time.  You can’t have any more shit happen this year.”

“Deal.”  Kurt grinned, thankful for his family.

Finn looked over at Kurt’s laptop and pointed toward it, “What are you doing?”

Kurt smiled a soft smile, thinking of Sebastian taking him to ‘the happiest place on Earth’, “Oh, I’m doing a little research on Disney World.”  

Sam smiled a knowing smile, and Finn was still confused, “Why?”  He picked up the laptop, “Whoa, are those animals carved into that giant tree?”

Kurt chuckled, “Yes.  Bas is taking me to Walt Disney World for spring break.”  He said it quietly, like it would make a difference. He bit his lip and waited.  He wasn’t sure if Finn was going to be jealous, or upset that he wasn’t going. Or maybe make fun of him or tease him for letting his boyfriend spoil him.

“Dude!  That’s awesome!”  Finn sat up straighter.  “You are such a Disney nerd.  That’s really sweet of him.”

Sam was smiling, and Kurt turned to him, “Did you know?”

“Yeah.  Leah told me. She said Seb was really looking forward to it, and totally plans on spoiling you.”

Kurt blushed and smiled, “Yeah.”

Sam grinned and cleared his throat, “Isn’t there something else you want to share?”

Kurt frowned, not knowing what Sam was talking about, but then it dawned on him, “Damn.  You dating Leah is going to make it harder for me to keep things to myself now.” They chuckled.

“Spill.  What are you not telling me?”  Finn jokingly frowned.

Kurt sighed, “Alright.  Remember the penthouse that I said the Smythe’s own in Manhattan?  Bas and I will be living there once we moved to New York.  He’s taking me to go see it in a couple of weeks.”

Finn’s eyes widened and his mouth hung open, “DUDE!  You are so lucky! What did Burt say?”

Kurt shrugged and blushed a little, “You know Dad.  He was thrilled that it’s obviously in a good neighborhood and has security.  He’s happy I’ll have Bas there with me all the time. He says I deserve to be spoiled.”

“You do.  And Seb loves spoiling you.”  Sam smiled. “AND, there’s three bedrooms, so we can come visit and not have to pay expensive New York hotel rates.”

Kurt smiled, “Very true.  And I do expect you guys to visit.”  He looked at Finn, and added, “This information is not to be shared, though.  Got it?”

Finn nodded, “Got it.”

 

When Burt came home, he went straight to Kurt’s room and knocked.  “Come in!” Kurt called.

“Hey, Bud.  How are you feeling?”

“Pretty good.  I’m bored out of my mind.”  Kurt made a face and his dad chuckled.

“Well, I want to talk to you about something.” Burt sat on the edge of Kurt’s bed, and Kurt closed the book he was reading.

He frowned, “What’s up?”

“Well, I wanted to know if maybe you wanted to go back to Dalton.”

Kurt’s eyebrows shot up.  “You mean as a student?”

Burt huffed out a laugh, “Yes.  As a student. You would be safer.  And you’d be with Sebastian. You’ve stayed friends with Nick and Jeff, and you’ve been reconnecting with some of the other guys on the Warblers.”

“Hmm.”

“And, we can afford it now.  Being a congressman, plus not having to worry about your housing next year… We could do it.”

“I’ll think about it.  But I don’t think I want to leave McKinley.”

“That’s what Seb said you would say.”  Burt smirked.

“You told Bas about it before you asked me?”

Burt looked at Kurt, “We talked about it while you were still unconscious.  Enough shit has happened to you at that school, Kurt. I want you to be safe.  And so does Sebastian. We also want you to be happy, so I’m leaving it up to you.”

Kurt nodded, “I know you want me to be safe and happy.  Both of you. But, the biggest threats to me are gone now.”

“I understand that, Kiddo.  But it seems like new threats just keep popping up.”

“I’ll think about it, Dad.”

Burt nodded and patted Kurt on the knee, “That’s all I can ask for.”

 

………………………………

 

Friday morning, Kurt sat in the waiting room of the psychiatrist office.  He was nervously bouncy his leg up and down, an action totally unlike him.  His nerves were through the roof.

“Bud, try to settle your nerves.  It’s going to be okay.” Burt said.  

“I know.”

He went back into the office when he was called.  Dr. Jameson introduced himself and shook his hand.  Kurt politely smiled and took a seat on the couch.

“So, Kurt, it’s my understanding that you’ve been through a lot in the last few years.  Can you tell me about that?”

Kurt asked, “I’m sorry, I don’t know how this works.  How much detail am I expected to give?”

Dr. Jameson smiled a kind, understanding smile, “Well, Kurt, that’s really up to you.  Your could give me a sort of overview today, and then we could go into more detail next time we meet if you want.  Or, if there is one event that you really feel the need to talk about at the moment, we can do that too.”

Kurt thought for a minute, and then asked, “Can you tell me what you already know?  I mean, my stepmom made the appointment, so I don’t know if she had to tell the receptionist anything or not.”  He fidgeted with the seam of pants.

“We do ask what the general concern is.  She said that you had been bullied at school, and that you have been attacked outside of school, including a stalker.”

“Yes, well, that’s true.  Okay, here goes... So, I’m gay.”  He smiled a bit, “I’m sure you guessed that.  I came out my sophomore year, but it was obvious before that and I’ve been bullied for it since Jr. High School. I had no friends, and only a few people I sort of associated with.  It had been just my dad and me since my mom passed away when I was eight. Dad has been great, but I was lonely. He was worried about me and told me I needed to get involved in an extra-curricular of some kind, so I joined Glee Club at school my sophomore year.  I made some good friends then. Many of which I consider family now. We’re as tight as friends can be.” Kurt smiled thinking of his friends family.

Dr. Jameson smiled and nodded. “That’s great.  Did making those friends help with the bullying?”

“Mmm, yes and no.  Everyone in Glee gets the occasional slushie to the face, but I was bullied worse.  I was thrown in dumpsters, got a few swirlies, got locker checked, even had some pee filled balloons thrown at me once.  I don’t want to know how they filled them.” Kurt made a face and Dr. Jameson made a matching face and nodded in agreement.  “They even nailed our lawn furniture to our roof. They called my dad’s garage and threatened him. They even called the house and suggested that I kill myself.”  Kurt was beginning to tear up.

“What did your new friends do about all of this?”

“They didn’t know most of it.  They knew about the slushies, they were getting them too, though not as often.  They knew about the dumpster tosses. A couple of them even participated in the dumpster tossed and slushies before they joined Glee.  They were trying to survive just like I was, I guess...Anything to not be on the receiving end. Anyway, they knew about the occasional locker check too.  Some of the Glee guys are on the football team, and they were able to get the number of times it happen to lessen. But a lot of them didn’t know about it. I didn’t tell anyone.”  Kurt cleared his throat and then continued, “One of the guys, Noah, is best friends with my stepbrother, Finn. He’s also one of my best friends now. He was over one night and accidentally walked in on me in the bathroom when I was getting undressed to shower.  He saw the bruises on my ribs, back, and shoulder. He got pretty pissed, and told Finn. They watched out for me after that. But it still happened. I was getting thrown into lockers. Like, they would pick me up and throw me. It was one person in particular that was really bad.  Dave Karofsky. One day Dave shoved me into the locker and I yelled at him. I followed him into the locker room and he forced a kiss on me.”

Dr. Jameson interrupted him, “Kurt you don’t seem bothered by this.  I mean, your demeanor. It’s like you’re telling me what you ate for lunch.  Why is that?”

Kurt raised his eyebrows and took a deep breath, “I guess because in the scheme of the things, it ended up being low on the list of assaults I’ve endured.”

“Okay.  Go on, then.”

“So, since Dave is gay, but in the closet.  He became scared that I was going to out him.  The bullying got worse. He even threatened to kill me.  I was terrified at that point.” His emotions were getting the better of him at this point, and he let out a shaky breath.  “My Dad found out, and he sent me to Dalton Academy.”

“Was that a good change for you?  No more bullying?” Dr. Jameson asked as he scribbled some notes.

“Partly.  I mean, the bullying stopped.  Sort of.”

“What do you mean ‘sort of’?  Doesn’t Dalton have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to bullying?”

“Yes.  But there’s no policy about being manipulated.”  Kurt sighed and laid his head on the back of the couch. “I met a guy there.  Blaine Anderson. He was the first boy to ever flirt with me. Eventually, he asked me out and we became boyfriends.  But he tried to change me. He wouldn’t let me make a lot of friends. He didn’t want me to see my McKinley friends, either.  He tried to change the way I dressed, got mad at me easily. It was a mess. A sneaky mess, but a mess nonetheless.”

“You go to McKinley now.  Is that why?”

“The short answer?  Yes. I wanted to be with my friends again.  I wanted to save the money for college instead of spending it on high school.  And Karofsky had transferred schools, so it worked out well.”

“But…”  

“I was at Lima Bean, and Karofsky came in.  I hadn’t really thought about seeing him outside of school, so it was sort of terrifying.”  Kurt paused and smiled.

“Why are you smiling?”  Dr. Jameson smirked.

Kurt’s smile widened, “Because that’s the day I met the love of my life.  My boyfriend, Sebastian Smythe.”

Dr. Jameson smiled, “I’m assuming things are going well in that department?”

“I couldn’t imagine them being better, given what we’ve been through.”  Kurt had a soft smile playing on his lips, but then it quickly disappeared.  

“What is it that you’ve been through?”

“Can I give you a quick summary and then talk about it more next time?  I know our time is limited, and I want to get this out, so it doesn’t fester.”

“Absolutely.  You share what you think I need to know for now.”  Dr. Jameson crossed his legs and looked up over the rim of his glasses.  

“Sebastian...Bas… he’s been saving me, and taking care of me, since we met.  I was dating Blaine when we met, but I wasn’t happy. Karofsky came into the Lima Bean and confronted me.  I was alone, so I was scared. Bas was there, and I asked him if I could join him. He agreed, and played right along.  That was the first time he saved me.

He goes to Dalton, and we discovered he is roommates with my old roommate.  He’s in the Warblers, their glee club, and so was I. Anyway, Bas and I, along with our friends Nick and Jeff, and then Blaine… We all went to a gay bar for karaoke night.  Blaine assaulted me. Beat the crap out me. He sexually assaulted me and tried to rape me.” He took a deep breath. “Bas found us before he could go all the way, and he stopped it.  A couple of weeks later, we stopped denying what was there between us, and we started dating.”

“How long ago was this?”  Dr. Jameson asked.

“The beginning of the school year.  Anyway, we had issues with Blaine’s brother after that.  And then we kept feeling like we were being watched. It turns out David was stalking us.  We had to get restraining orders.” Kurt took a cleansing breath again, “Then Mack Robinson came into our lives.  He was hitting on Leah, Bas’ sister. He was turned down. She was only 14 at the time, and he was a senior.”

“Was?”

“He’s dead now.”  Kurt shifted a bit in his seat, and took a shaky breath.  Dr. Jameson’s eyebrows shot up, “He was relentless.  Like, harassment type stuff. Leah had to lock herself in her friend’s bedroom one night when he showed up.  We had to go get her, and my pseudo-brother, Sam, had to punch him to get him to let her out. He attacked me at school one day, although I didn’t know it was him at the time.  Then he got his friend to do another time by calling a fake football meeting so I’d be alone, then the friend got me. Then we saw him Saturday night at the bowling alley. He made a threatening remark, so everyone paired up at school, so nobody was alone. But Sugar, my best friend, only had to go down the hall and felt like it was silly to need someone to go that distance.  Sam had been held up after class and wasn’t with me. I saw Sugar alone, so I caught up with her and walked her to class. I left her just a few feet from the classroom, but when I was walking away, things just didn’t seem right. Mack had her in the janitor’s closet. He was trying to rape her. I stopped him, but he grabbed my head and slammed me against the wall so hard that I lost consciousness.  I woke up 20 hours later. That was earlier this week.”

Dr. Jameson asked, “And how is it that Mack is dead?”

“He killed himself. After he hurt Sugar and tried to rape her, then knocked me out, he headed to Indiana to Leah’s boarding school.  He tried to attack her, but she was able to barricade herself and her roommate in their dorm room. He got away, but was pulled over north of Cincinnati.  He took off and the cops chased him. When he got to this really tall bridge, he stopped and jumped. They found his body the next day.”

“Kurt, you have been through an incredible amount of trauma in your short life.  Just one of these things would bring someone in to see me, and you have been through multiple.  I’d like to talk about each of the events in more detail during our future sessions. I’d like you to think about how each one is affecting you now.  How has it made you stronger, and how has it caused problems. That way, we can work on ways to fix it, and help you heal.”

“Okay.”  Kurt nodded.

“We’ll start at the beginning, and then work our way forward.”  He paused and looked at Kurt, “I can already tell you are an impressive young man, Kurt.  You must be one hell of a strong kid.”

 

When Kurt came out of the office, Burt stood and greeted him with a hug.  “How did it go, Kiddo?”

“Fine, Dad.”  They headed outside and Kurt answered as they left and got in the car, “We went over everything briefly, and then we’ll go over everything in more detail during later appointments.”

Burt glances over at Kurt, “Do you like him?  Do you think it’ll help?”

“Yeah, he was fine.  I think it’ll help eventually.  Especially talking to someone on the outside of everything, ya know?”  Kurt looked at Burt.

Burt nodded, “Yeah.”

“Can I go back with you to the shop?  I’d like to work on some cars and not think about anything for awhile.”  

“Sure, Kiddo.  Well, I can drop you off.  If you’re okay with it, I have to go to DC this weekend.  I know I wasn’t supposed to go back yet, but there’s been an emergency meeting called.  Can’t really say what about yet. I need to go home and pack.”

“That’s fine, Dad.  Is Carol going?”

“No.  It’s her week for the weekend shift.  Is that okay? Seb can stay this weekend, if that makes you feel better.”

“We’ll see.  I have to do some things on my own.  Not that I don’t want to spend every waking hour with him,”  He smirked, “But it’s nice to know if I need to, he can come over or I can go over there.”

“I’d at least like you to have someone in the house at all times.  I don’t want you to get dizzy or something, and no one be there.”

“Alright.  I haven’t gotten lightheaded today, so hopefully that’s all over.”

“Hopefully.”

Kurt texted Sebastian.

**To Bas:**

Can you pick me up at the garage on your way to my house?

**To Babe:**

Sure, Babe.  See you then.  Love you.

**To Bas:**

Thanks.  Love you too.

  


Kurt walked into the garage, “Hey Cassius.  Got anything I can work on?”

“Kurt!”  Cassius beamed, “It’s good to see you!  Are you feeling better?” He walked over to Kurt and hugged him.

“I am, thanks.”  Kurt smiled as he hugged Cassius.  Cassius had been working at the garage for as long as Kurt could remember, and he was like an uncle to him growing up.  He loved the guy dearly.

“Well, there’s a Ford over there that needs a new transmission.  Think you’re up for it?” Cassius grinned.

Kurt playfully rolled his eyes, “You know I am.  I’m going to go put coveralls on, and I’ll get right on it.”

 

Sebastian and Leah arrived at the garage around 5.  Sebastian had never been there, other than driving by, so he and Leah went into the front desk area.  The bell rang when he opened the door, and an African American man in his late 50’s, wearing coveralls that said ‘Cassius’ on the front, came in from the garage, wiping his hands with a rag that he stuck in his back pocket. “Welcome to Hummel Tire and Lube.  What can I do for you today?” He smiled.

Sebastian smiled, “Cassius?  I’m Sebastian Smythe,” He offered his hand to shake, “Kurt’s boyfriend.  I’ve heard a lot of nice things about you.”

Cassius smiled, “Well, don’t believe them,”  He chuckled. “It’s nice to meet you, Sebastian. I’ve heard lots of nice things about you too.  I would give you the whole ‘If you hurt Kurt’ speech, but if Burt likes you, and trusts you with his pride and joy, then I will too.”  He waited a beat, and said, “But seriously, if you hurt him, I will kill you. He’s the closest thing I have to a son, and I love the kid.”

Sebastian smiled, “No worries.  I love him too, and I promise not to hurt him.”  He turned toward Leah, “This is my sister, Leah.”

“Nice to meet you, young lady.”  He shook her hand.

She smiled, “Nice to meet you too.  We’re here to pick Kurt up.”

He nodded, “He’s probably still finishing up that transmission.  Come with me, and we’ll fetch him.” He gestured for them to follow him through the door to the garage.  

They walked past a couple of cars, and then Sebastian saw him.  Kurt was bent over with his head under the hood of the car. He had one hand bracing himself and the other deep inside the engine.  He had a rag hanging out the back pocket of his coveralls, and he was humming as he worked. Turns out, working at the garage was just what Kurt needed.  He was relaxed and feeling better, which is why he lost track of time.

“Hey kid, your ride’s here.”  Cassius said as he passed Kurt.  He kept walking until he got back to the car he was working on.

“What?”  Kurt said as he poked his head out to from under the hood.  He had earbuds in, so he barely heard anything. He was looking toward Cassius, who gestured for Kurt to look behind him.  Kurt turned around to see Sebastian and Leah both smiling at him. His face lit up, “Bas!” He grabbed the rag and started to wipe his hands as he stepped over and leaned up for a kiss without touching Sebastian with his greasy hands.  

“Hey, Babe.”  Sebastian smiled.  He whispered in Kurt’s ear, “I just had flashbacks to several fantasies, seeing you bent over, under the hood of a car.”

Kurt giggled and shook his head.  He looked at Leah and rolled his eyes, “Hi, Leah.”  He kissed her on the cheek.

“Hi, Kurt.”  She grinned back, totally knowing what her brother was probably whispering.  

“Let me go clean up.  I’ll meet you outside.  Did you drive your car?”

“No.  We brought the Range Rover.”

“Okay,”  Kurt turned to Cassius, “Cass, are you good to close up?”

“You know it. Go have fun, kid.”  Cassius waved them all off.

 

A few minutes later, Kurt was outside, climbing into the front seat of the SUV. “Ready.”

Leah asked, “So you replaced a transmission today?”

“Yeah.  It was nice getting back to the garage.  It helped me relax.” Kurt said as he looked out the window.  

“That’s impressive, Kurt.”  Leah said.

Kurt shrugged, “Not when you grow up in a garage.”

“You were freaking sexy in those coveralls, Babe.  I might need to stop by the garage more often.” Sebastian glanced over at Kurt.

Kurt smiled and shook his head, “Okay.  You stop by anytime, just don’t get in my way.”  They all chuckled.

 

Carol got home around the same time that Sebastian, Kurt, and Leah arrived.  After greeting everyone, she asked Kurt, “Are you feeling okay today, Sweetie?”

“Yes, much better.  I haven’t gotten lightheaded at all today.”

“Good!”  Carol smiled,  “Mind if we use the chili you made yesterday?”  

“Not at all.  That’s why I made it.  A double batch, actually.  I think Rachel, Sugar, and Puck are coming over too.”

“Great.  I’ll get started on the other stuff, then.”

“Thanks, Carol.”  Kurt grinned and hugged her.

 

By the time dinner was ready, everyone had arrived and had gathered in the living room.  Each couple was sitting together and everyone was catching up with each other, since it had been such a crazy week.  

Carol came in, “Dinner is ready.  We’re doing it buffet style in the kitchen, then head to the dining room.  There’s lots of choices to go with the chilli. Rachel, Kurt made you some veggie chili too.”

Everyone thanked her, and Rachel leaned over and gave Kurt a side hug and thanked him.

When everyone seemed to be finished eating,  Kurt spoke, “Okay, I know everyone is avoiding it, but I think that’s making it worse.  So let’s get it all out in the open and talk about the elephant in the room. I’ll share, then Sugar can share IF she chooses, and then you all can tell us what’s really been happening at school while we’ve been gone.”

Everyone seemed to relax a bit, knowing they didn’t have to avoid anything, but there was still tension, based on the subject matter.  

“So, I went to see Dr. Jameson today.  He’s a psychiatrist. We decided that today I would sort of just graze over everything that has happened, so I could get it all off my chest, then we can go into more detail in later appointments and figure out what will work best to help get me past this.  I think it went well. He’s nice, and I think it will help. He seems to be really happy that I have all of you, and says that’s probably why I haven’t gone insane yet.” He paused for a second, “Okay, so he didn’t SAY that, but it’s what he meant.”

Sebastian put his hand on Kurt’s back, “I’m glad you liked him, and that you think it will help.”

Kurt gave Sebastian a small smile, “Me too.”  He looked at Sugar, “Do you want to share, Sugar?  It’s 100% up to you.”

She nodded, “I went to talk to someone as well.  It was revealing… After we talked, we realized that my biggest issue is the guilt.”  Everyone frowned, not understanding. “I feel guilty for being by myself. If I had stuck to our plan, Angel wouldn’t have had to leave his spot where he was waiting for Sam, I would have been with Puck, and none of this would have happened.  Angel wouldn’t have gotten hurt, and Mack wouldn’t have been able to...touch me.”

Kurt had grabbed Sebastian’s hand while Sugar was talking.  He squeezed it when she finished, and made his way around the table to where Sugar was sitting.  He held out a hand to her, which she took right away, as she stood. He sat in her chair and pulled her down into his lap and held her.  “You know, you can’t go through life playing the ‘if’ game. ‘If’ this had happened, or ‘if’ that had happened. You just can’t. Mack was a messed up mental mess, whether you were with Puck or not.  He would have tried something eventually. If you are going to play the ‘if’ game, then think about how much worse it could have been ‘if’ I hadn’t shown up. Or ‘if’ it happened somewhere other than school, or ‘if’ Puck hadn’t found us.  You just can’t think that way. I would do anything for you, Sugar. I have no regrets, and I don’t want you to either.” He squeezed her tight again.

“I love you, Angel.”  Sugar squeezed him back.  

“I love you, too, Sugar.  You know, I don’t blame you for any of this right?  This is 100% Mack’s fault.” He looked at Leah, “It’s not Leah’s fault for turning him down.”  He looked at Sam, “It’s not Sam’s fault for punching him, or for defending Leah.” He looked at Sebastian, “It’s not Bas’ fault for defending his sister, or me.  This is ALL Mack’s fault. No more blaming yourselves.” Everyone nodded, and Sugar leaned over and kissed Kurt on the cheek.

 

Later that evening when everyone was gathered in the living room watching a movie, Kurt asked Sebastian to talk to him in the kitchen for a little while.  

“Sure, Babe.”  Once they were seated at the kitchen table Seb asked, “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I guess.”  Sebastian took Kurt’s hand, and Kurt continued, “Dad asked me if I wanted to go back to Dalton.”

Sebastian nodded, “He told me he was going to ask you.  I told him you would probably say ‘no’.”

“I haven’t decided, and I want to know what you think about it.”

Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s knuckles, “I think you would be a lot safer if you came back.  I also think that if one more thing happens to you at McKinley, I’m going to march in there, throw you over my shoulder, and carry you out myself.  Enough is enough. It was enough after the first time. But, I also think you would miss your friends. I think you would miss being able to dress the way you want.  I think that it would be great to have you around all of the time, but it may come at too big of a price for you.”

Kurt sighed, “I guess I have a lot to think about.”

 


	39. Working Through It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt and his family work through the aftermath of what happened, including Mack's decision to kill himself. Kurt and Sugar go back to school, and Coach has a couple of other guys join the Cheerios.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos welcome! Please!

After Kurt and Sebastian talked in the kitchen, they returned to the rest of the group in the living room.

“Hey, I texted Santana to come over.  I think she has a lot of insight to what we need to talk about next.”  Puck said, looking to the couple as they walked back in.

“Okay,”  Kurt answered quietly.

“You okay, Princess?”  Puck frowned.

Kurt took a deep breath, “Yeah.  Dad asked me if I want to go back to Dalton.  He thinks I’ll be safer there.” The room fell silent, and all eyes were on Kurt.

Puck just looked at Kurt for a few long seconds, “Uhh...Are you gonna go?”  The thought of Kurt leaving made him upset, but he would understand if that was what he chose.  Life at McKinley hadn’t exactly been easy for Kurt.

Sebastian pulled Kurt into his lap, and Kurt answered, “Bas and I were just talking about it.  I have a lot to think about. I would be safer, and I would be with Bas… But I kind of agree with Bas that I would be giving up an awful lot of myself to go there.  My friends, fashion, Cheerios, Glee. I mean, the Warblers would welcome me back, but it’s not the same.”

Finn was frowning, “You can’t go, Kurt.”  He was sounding kind of whiney. “I mean, we can do a better job of protecting you.  And now, with Karofsky and Mack not in school, it should be easier for you.”

“What about guys like Rick and Azimio?”  Kurt asked. Sebastian rubbed his back to comfort him.  He could feel him tensing.

“Actually,”  Sam started, “I don’t think you’ll have too much of a problem with them.  I mean, they were even asking about you and Sugar. Azimio said something to Collins in the weight room.  He said something about how you aren’t very big, but you pack a punch. He saw Mack as he ran out of school that day, apparently.  Collins said he was talking like he had a new found respect for you.”

Kurt sighed and laid his head back on Sebastian’s shoulder.  “You okay, Baby?,” Sebastian whispered. Kurt nodded ‘yes’, but Seb wasn’t so sure.  He wrapped his arms around Kurt and held him tight.

“And you know we’re going to be extra protective of you and Sugar both, right?”  Finn asked. Sugar smiled a bit, as did Kurt. Sebastian gave Finn a grateful nod.  

There was a knock at the door and Sam got up to answer it.  He and Santana came back into the room, and Santana went straight for Kurt, and then to Sugar and Leah, giving them all hugs.  “I’ve missed you guys,” she said.

Puck didn’t waste any time in bringing up the dreaded subject. “So earlier, Kurt said we needed to talk about the elephant in the room.  We all know damn well and good, that it’s more than just what Mack did to Sugar, Kurt, and Leah. I know we all have mixed emotions about Mack killing himself.  I mean, the son of a bitch tried to rape my girl, and he’s been assulting and harrassing Kurt and Leah for awhile now. But...It’s still sad that he felt that he had to do what he did.  Personally, I’m disappointed that he won’t be punished for his crimes.” Sebastian nodded in agreement. Puck continued, “Santana, why don’t you let Sugar, Kurt, Seb, and Leah know what a lot of the girls at school are saying.”

Santana nodded, “Yeah, so apparently, Mack was...Well, let’s just say that the way he was with you, Leah, wasn’t that unusual.”  

Leah frowned, “What do you mean?”

Santana continued, “Well, since his death, teachers have been talking to their classes in what seems to be a school wide therapy session.  They even had extra counselors on hand in case students or teachers needed to talk. Coach Sylvester had the Cheerios talk about it too. She was pissed about what he did, but…. Anyway, we were all talking about suicide, choices, consequences, mental health...Things like that.  In the Cheerios talk, it wasn’t just about him killing himself, but what he did to you guys. That’s when things started to come out. Avery said he wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer from her once. He didn’t rape her or anything, but from what she said, it was definitely harassment, and it scared her.  Well, once Avery shared that, several other girls said they experienced that same thing with him. Then some of the girls said they had heard the same thing from other girls in their other classes.”

Sugar sighed, “That’s so messed up.”  Puck held her tight.

“It is,”  Leah agreed.  “So what are people saying about his death?  Do they know the facts?”

“I think they all know the basics,”  Sam said as he reached for Leah’s hand, “but no intimate details about what you guys went through.”  Sugar looked relieved at that statement.

Everyone was silent for a little bit, comforting each other and taking in all of the new information.  Rachel had been silent the entire time, but decided to voice a question that had been bothering her. “Why do you think he did it?  Kill himself, I mean.”

Everyone sat thinking about the question.  Maybe it was because Puck was perceptive with everyone, or maybe it was because he was bitter, but he spoke first, “I think he would have done anything not to have gotten caught and have to go to prison.  I think that’s why he didn’t do it until he had been pulled over.”

“I think you’re right, Puck.”  Sebastian said, “No one can say if he had any guilt about what he did, or what was going through his mind, but I have a feeling it was his selfish way to not have to pay for what he did.  You know the police had already put an APB out for his arrest. So if he wasn’t outrunning them successfully, he may have thought that was only choice if he didn’t want to go to prison.”

“I feel bad,”  Sugar whispered.

Puck frowned, “Why, Sugar?  You didn’t do anything.”

“I know.  But I still feel bad that anyone, especially someone we knew, would feel that desperate for an escape, or be that sad or depressed.  I wonder if he had any real friends.” Sugar looked at her boyfriend.

Puck cupped her cheek, “Most people don’t have a family like we do, Sug.  I know he hung out with a couple of guys, but I don’t know how close they were.”

“Have they said anything?  His friends?” Kurt asked.

Puck answered, “Not that I’m aware of.  They seem to be keeping pretty quiet. I don’t think they want to be associated with an attempted rapist.”

“I, uhh… I’ve been talking with Karofsky a little.”  Santana confessed. Everyone looked at her. “When you guys were in the hospital and Mack was nowhere to be found… I was desperate to find him.  I wanted him to pay. So I texted Dave. I knew he’d do anything for you, Kurt. I wanted him to talk to Rob and find out where Mack was. So he looked for Mack himself, and when he couldn’t find him, he went to Rob and tried to pressure him into telling him.  But Rob said he hadn’t talked to Mack in a long time… that they weren’t friends anymore, because he got him into a mess since he had messed with you. So… I don’t think Mack was keeping friends very well. Maybe the guys he hung with were finally seeing how messed up he was.  His parents had a private memorial service for family only. I think who he was hit home for a lot of people. It’s so sad, in so many ways.”

Kurt sat for a minute, “What was Dave going to do if he found him?”

Santana shrugged, “I didn’t make any special requests, if that’s what you want to know.”  Sebastian couldn’t help but grin at that. “I figured we had a better shot at finding him than the cops did.  And if Dave wanted to vent his frustrations then….”

Kurt shook his head.  “Enough with the violence.  I hate this.” Kurt buried his head into Sebastian’s shoulder.  Sebastian turned and kissed his cheek as he rubbed his back holding him tight.

“I know you do, Princess.  I know you’ve had enough violence for a lifetime, but when someone does something like that to someone you love, it’s natural to want to hurt them.  You know what I’m talking about, since you didn’t hold back when he was hurting Sugar.” Puck sighed. “I know it sucks, though.”

Kurt nodded in response, “I know.  I just want it to be over.”

“Hopefully it is, Baby.  The worst of it, anyway. Now we all need to heal.  Especially you three.” Sebastian looked to Sugar and Leah.”

Leah shook her head, “He didn’t touch me.  Don’t include me in that…”

Sam frowned and squeezed her hand, “No, Leah.  He did touch you. That night at Mandy’s when he grabbed you, not wanting to let you go.  And Monday, he may not have touched you, but he did mess with your head. What you went through was terrifying in it’s own right.”

“He’s right, Leah.”  Kurt said, raising his head to look at her.  “Don’t downplay what you’ve been through.”

Leah squeezed Sam’s hand before letting go and getting up, walking over to Kurt.  He sat up and slid down off of Sebastian’s lap, so he was sitting next to his boyfriend.  He held out his arms and Leah curled up in his lap. He held her close, stroking her hair as she cried.  

Sebastian turned a bit to face them and wrapped his arm around her too.  He kissed her head, and whispered in her ear, “I love you, Leah. We’ll get through this.  I promise.”

There wasn’t really a dry eye in the room after seeing Leah break down.  Some were crying because of the pain they suffered themselves. Some cried out of sympathy toward the people they loved.  Some cried because of a life lost. And some tears were shed because of a combination of all of it.

 

………………

 

Monday came way too quickly for Kurt.  He took a deep breath in as he poured his coffee.  Finn came into the kitchen, “Are you ready, little brother?”

“I guess,”  Kurt answered dryly.  

“You know we’ve got your back, right?”  Finn asked.

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  Thanks. I’m just nervous.”

Finn put a hand on his shoulder, “I know,” he said softly.  

Kurt looked down as his phone buzzed.

**From Bas:**

I’ll be thinking of you today, Babe.  You’ve got this. Love you.

**From Babe:**

Thanks Bas.  I love you too.  I’m just so nervous.

**From Bas:**

I know, Baby.  But you’ll have our family there.  It will be okay. Call or text me if you need me.  <3

 

Kurt and his brothers pulled into the McKinley parking lot where Puck and Sugar were there waiting for them. They had just returned from Dalton, where Sebastian, Nick, and Jeff, happily took Sugar’s treats from her in the parking lot, setting them up themselves, so she wouldn’t have to deal with anyone saying anything to her.  Dealing with McKinley was going to be enough. She didn’t need to deal with Dalton too.

Kurt got out and went straight to Sugar.  They immediately embraced, “We can do this.  Are you ready?”

Sugar took a deep breath in, “Ready as I’ll ever be.”  Kurt wrapped his arm around her and they walked into the school with Puck, Sam, and Finn close behind them.  

It seemed like every pair of eyes was on them.  Some gave looks of sympathy, some were just being nosey, some were just curious.  Kurt sighed. If he wasn’t on a stage, he hated when people stared.

“Just keep walking.  Ignore them.” Puck said quietly as he put his hand on Sugar’s back.  She leaned into his touch, but didn’t let go of her Angel.

Finn, Sam, or Mike, met Kurt at each of his classes, making sure he made it to his next class safely, and without being hassled.  Puck walked Sugar to each of her classes.

 

 

Finn and Sam sat on either side of Kurt at lunch, and Puck sat with Sugar across from him, joined by the rest of Glee Club.  Kurt sat staring at his food as he felt the entire cafeteria staring at him. “Once they get a look at you, and see you’re okay, they’ll stop staring.  It won’t be like this tomorrow, or the day after,” Sam said, trying to encourage him.

“Yeah,”  Kurt sighed.  

Santana noticed he wasn’t eating and said, “Just staring at it won’t do you any good, Kurt.  Put it in your mouth already.”

Brittany perked up, smiling. “I bet Sebby says the same thing!”

They tried….They _really_ tried….But no one, not even Kurt or Sugar, could suppress the laughter at the innuendo anymore.  They laughed so hard they had tears rolling down their cheeks. God love Brittany. She had no idea what everyone was laughing at, but she laughed right along with them.  She was just glad all of her friends were smiling and happy.

Halfway through lunch, Sebastian called Kurt. “Hey, Baby.  How is your day going?”

“Well, other than being stared at ALL day, it’s been fine.  Brittany has just provided us with some comic relief.”

Sebastian could hear Kurt’s smile, and he smiled in return.  Then he said, “You’ll have to tell me all about it later. She cracks me up.  Have you eaten?”

Kurt paused and took a deep breath.  He really didn’t want to eat. “Um, no, I haven’t.”

“What do you have in front of you?”  Seb asked.

“Same as always.  A banana, salad, and yogurt.”  Kurt answered quietly.

Puck had listened, and he knew what was coming next.  He looked to Santana and nodded. The two of them started talking with Finn, Sam, anyone else around Kurt, so they wouldn’t hear what was going to be said next.

“Kurt, eat the banana and yogurt.  If that settles, eat the salad.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt said quietly.

“Thank you, Baby.  I love you, and I want you to be healthy.  Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Good.  Thank you, Kurt.  I’ll call after school, okay, Babe?”  Sebastian grinned.

“Yeah.  I love you, Bas.”

“I love you too, Kurt.  Hang in there, okay? After today, things will be a lot more normal.”

“Okay.  Bye, Bas.”

“Bye, Baby.”

Puck and Santana watched as Kurt ate his lunch.  Santana sighed with a hint of relief. This really was working for Kurt.  She was happy for him.

 

After school, Kurt headed to Cheerios practice.  Coach Sylvester made her way to Kurt right away. She hugged him, an act totally unlike her, “Glad you’re back, Porcelain.  Glad you’re okay.”

Kurt gave her a shy smile, “Thanks, Coach.  I’m glad to be back. Sort of.”

Coach nodded in understanding, and then said, “So, I need to know something.  How are you feeling? Have you been getting lightheaded? Or are you back to normal?”

“Pretty much back to normal now.”  Kurt frowned a bit. “Why?”

“Okay,”  Coach paused, “How would you feel about some air time?  Be our ‘top guy’.”

“Uhhh… I can try?  Who can lift me?” Kurt asked.

“Well, I got a couple of guys to join, if you agree.”  Coach said.

Kurt’s eyes widened, and he stammered, “I..I..I d-don’t know, Coach.”

“Look, Porcelain.  I know you can do it.  The guys know they will be working with you.  They have no issues, and they know that if they do anything...anything at all that crosses the line past acceptable behavior, they will have to deal with me.  They know how protective I am of you, and how pissed off I’ve been lately. They’ll be on their best behavior.”

“Wh-Who is it?”  Kurt asked quietly.  Before she could answer, he added,  “Coach...I...I don’t even know if I’m staying at McKinley.  Dad said I could go back to Dalton.”

“What!?  No! Porcelain, you can’t leave.  We have Nationals. I promise nothing bad will happen.  Look,” She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves so she wouldn’t scare him, “I got Clay Elliott, and Jack Collins.  Both are weightlifters, and both are nice guys. I’m pretty sure both are friendly with your brothers. Give me ten minutes, and I’ll have them back here to meet with you.”

Kurt nodded, “I’ll meet them.  But I want Santana with me.”

“Deal.  Go warm up.  I’ll be right back.”  Coach left the gym to head to the weight room.   

When she got there, Clay and Jack were lifting with several guys, including Puck, and Kurt’s brothers.  They decided to lift while Kurt was in practice so they could be there to take him home.

“Just the people I wanted to see.”  Everyone looked up to see Coach. She frowned at Puck, “Why are you not with Sugar?  I figured you wouldn’t leave her side today.”

Puck answered, “I hadn’t until 10 minutes ago.  Mercedes and Tina are taking her and Leah shopping.  Girl time.”

Coach knit her brows together, “Leah Smythe?”  Puck nodded as he continued to lift. Coach continued, “I thought she was in Indiana.”

Sam answered, “After what happened, Robert and Tori weren’t happy with the security at Oldenburg.  They withdrew her. She lives at home now, and goes to Crawford Country Day.”

“And she’s Sam’s girlfriend.  Officially, now.” Finn smirked.  Sam smiled ear to ear as he continued to lift.

“Good for you.”  Coach nodded to Sam.  “Jack. Clay. I want you to come meet with Porcelain.  Now.”

Clay and Jack nodded and set their weights down.  Puck, Finn, and Sam all stopped. They were confused.  

Puck asked, “Why?”  His tone serious as he frowned.  

“Chill, Puck.  If Porcelain agrees, they’ll be joining the Cheerios, being lifters for him.”

“Lifters?”  Puck asked.

“Yes.  As in, they’ll be lifting him.”  Coach rolled her eyes.

“We’re going with you.”  Puck said. He, Sam, and Finn all put their weights back on the racks, and headed out behind Jack and Clay.  As they walked, Puck texted Sebastian.

**To Seb:**

You might want to pick up Princess from Cheerios practice.  I don’t know everything yet, and he’s okay right now, but some things on the squad are changing.  He might need you.

**To Puck:**

I’ll be there.  What kind of things are changing?

**To Seb:**

There’s a couple of guys joining the squad as lifters for Princess.  He’s meeting with the guys now, and his brothers and I are going too, whether Coach likes it or not.

**To Puck:**

Thanks.  I’m leaving now.

 

Coach Sylvester came into the gym with the whole crew behind her.  Kurt looked up and saw Coach, Clay, and Jack walk in. He smirked when he saw Puck, Finn, and Sam closely following.  God, he loved his family. It made him think that maybe staying at McKinley was possible.

“Porcelain!”  Coach called.

“Coming, Coach.”  Kurt grabbed Santana and jogged over.  He looked at Jack and Clay and shyly said, “Um, hi.”

“Hey!”  Jack said.  Clay nodded.  They all sat on the bleachers, with Jack and Clay turned around backwards, facing Coach, Santana, and Kurt.  Finn came and sat next to Clay, Sam next to Jack, and Puck next to Kurt.

Coach Sylvester started, “Porcelain, this is Jack Collins and Clay Elliott.”  She motioned to each boy. She continued, “Boys, this is Porcelain. You may know him as Kurt Hummel.”  Both boys nodded.

“So,”  Coach continued, “Porcelain is our ‘wow factor’, and I need a couple of strong guys to lift him.  Nationals requires more that just a simple ‘wow’... So I want you,” She said looking at Kurt, “flying while you sing.”

Kurt raised his eyebrows, “Flying?”

“You know what I’m talking about, and I know you can do it.”  Coach looked at him.

“A-And Clay and Jack would be lifting me? Spotting me?”  Kurt asked. Coach nodded ‘yes’.

Puck asked, “So why should we trust them to take care of Princess?”  Kurt blushed at that, looking down at his shoes.

Clay frowned.  He didn’t know much about Kurt.  He knew what happened last week. He knew he’s gay - that was obvious.  But Clay was quiet and kept to himself. He didn’t gossip, or even hang out with people much.  He liked solitude, but he was lonely. He thought maybe if he joined the Cheerios, he might meet a nice cheerleader.  Clay was taller, with light brown hair, and dark brown eyes. He was buff, and thick, but something about him made him seem...gentle.  He said nothing to Puck’s question. He let Jack answer.

Jack, who was a similar build to Clay, but had dark brown hair, and blue eyes, answered, “Look, everyone knows what happened last week.  I also know that Kurt has been bullied. I have no intention of bullying anyone. It’s not who I am. And honestly, I’m impressed with what he did last week.”

Kurt blushed, “Um…I’m assuming you, uh, know I’m gay?  Is that going to bother you? You...You’ll have to touch me.”  He added that last part quietly. “You don’t think I’ll turn you gay, like some idiots around here, do you?”

For the first time, Clay responded by giving a little chuckle.  Jack said, “Yeah, I think we’re both aware that you’re gay. It doesn’t bother me.  I mean, it might bother me if you start getting all flirty. That would be… weird... But none of the other stuff bothers me.”

Kurt nodded, and then he and everyone else looked to Clay.  Clay looked up, noticing the eyes on him, and for the first time, he spoke, “Doesn’t bother me any.”  Kurt noticed his voice was low and smoothe, and instantly wished Clay would have joined Glee. It really was a shame that he was so quiet. His voice was amazing. Sultry, even.

Sam said, “You don’t have worry about Kurt flirting with you.  He’s got a serious boyfriend.”

Puck added with a smirk, “He’ll be here soon, actually.”  

Kurt looked surprised, “What?  Why is Bas coming?”

Puck winked at Kurt and shrugged his shoulders.  Kurt lovingly rolled his eyes and smiled.

Finn hadn’t said anything yet, and he looked like he was deep in thought.  Finally, he said, “Look, I don’t want to say too much without Kurt’s permission...But...He really has been through hell this school year.  Years past were hard enough, but this school year...Jesus, most of us couldn’t have survived it. So listen closely. If you make fun of him, or… or… touch him the wrong way, or drop him or something...anything that would piss me off, you’ll regret it.”  It was said with brotherly love and Finn awkwardness. Kurt had to give small smile at that.

“I’ll be watching,”  Santana said, then she turned to Clay and Jack, “and if I see anything I don’t like, or hear any rumors that I don’t like, I’ll let the boys know.  They’ll deal with whatever leftovers I decide to leave them.”

The boys just looked at the group before them, and then Kurt asked, “So, why did you two agree to do this? People might give you a hard time.”

Clay smirked and shrugged his shoulders, “To meet girls.”  Kurt laughed.

Jack said, “That’s not a bad side effect, but I figured it would look good on college applications.  I already turned some in, but I felt like they were pretty bare in the extracurricular department. I figured I could apply to a few more it I needed to.  Especially if we win Nationals.” He paused for a few seconds and then continued, “Look, Kurt. I don’t know what all you’ve been through, but I promise I’m not doing this to do something mean to you.  I’m not worried about what others think or say. It doesn’t bother me to touch you.” He looked at Finn, Puck, and Sam, “And I’ve been friends, or at least friendly, with you three for a couple of years.  You know my reputation. I’m not an asshole.”

Kurt looked at Puck and his brothers, who nodded that they agreed with Jack’s statement.  He looked at Santana who winked at him. He grinned, “Okay. Let’s give it a shot.”

“Alright!”  Coach said, “Santana, you go show the boys how to do a proper lift.  Boys, you need to pick it up quickly. We only have two weeks.”

Santana brought Avery and Chloe over to the side of the gym with Kurt, Clay, and Jack.  She and Chloe demonstrated how to properly lift Avery, while Avery explained to Kurt what he needed to do.  

 

Sebastian arrived at McKinley and made his way to the gym.  He stood in the doorway, leaning up against the frame, watching the girls show Kurt and two guys what they needed to do.  He looked over and saw Puck, Finn, and Sam watching from the bleachers. He smirked, knowing they were keeping a close eye on Kurt.  The boys all silently acknowledged each other, but nobody moved from their spots. Seb turned back to watch Kurt with a small smile on his face.  

“Alright, you guys try now.  Try a basic lift. Jack, you go first,”  Santana ordered.

Jack clapped his hands together as he walked up behind Kurt, “Okay!”  He put his hands on Kurt’s waist, and Kurt immediately jumped. Jack pulled his hands back right away.  “You okay?”

Kurt was breathing a bit heavy, but he nodded ‘yes’.  He whispered, “Try again.”

“Ready?”  Jack asked.  Kurt nodded. Jack put his hands back on Kurt’s waist, and Kurt jumped again.  This time, his breathing was heavy and Kurt turned around as he backed up.

“I won’t hurt you, Kurt.”  Jack said softly.

Santana asked, “You okay, Porcelain?”  She looked up and saw Finn and Sam standing.  Puck was on his way down the bleachers, and Seb was sprinting over.

“Babe?”  Seb said as he approached.  Kurt turned toward Sebastian, and Seb’s heart sank.  The panic in Kurt’s eyes was heartbreaking, and he was having a panic attack.  “It’s okay.” He reached for Kurt, pulling Kurt’s hand to his own chest. “Match me, Baby.  Breathe...I’ve got you. You’re safe. Breathe, Baby...Count backwards from 10 in your head...”

Everyone was watching.  Clay frowned, and Jack looked worried.  He wondered if he did something wrong.

Kurt started to get his breathing under control.  He had unshed tears in his eyes as he looked at his boyfriend.  Sebastian wrapped his arms around him, kissing his forehead. “I’ve got you, Baby,”  he whispered in Kurt’s ear.

Coach walked up, “You okay, Porcelain?  What happened?” Kurt didn’t say anything.  He looked down, embarrassed. Coach turned to Sebastian, “Sebastian,”  She greeted. Puck, Finn, and Sam were gathered around at that point.

“Hey, Coach.”  Sebastian greeted in return.  There was a pause, then Seb said, “I have an idea.”  He turned to Clay and Jack and introduced himself. He extended his hand, “I’m Sebastian, Kurt’s boyfriend.”  They greeted him in return, shaking his hand. He turned to Kurt, “How about you get to know Jack and Clay a little better.  Then they won’t be strangers, and you may feel a little more comfortable.” Kurt nodded shly and Sebastian looked at the Jack and Clay, “Would you two be up for that?”

“Yeah.  I think that’s a good idea.”  Jack said.

“Sounds good,”  Clay added.

Sebastian looked to Coach, “Mind if we take off early?”

“Go ahead,”  she said, walking back to the rest of the girls.  “Santana, Chloe, Avery! You stay!” She called back to them.  The girls rolled their eyes and jogged to join the rest of the squad.

 

15 minutes later, they all walked into the Lima Bean.  Kurt agreed with Sebastian that the new guys need to know a little bit about what he had been through, so when they were all seated with their drinks, Kurt bagan, “So.  I know my family told you I have been through a lot, but we thought maybe you need to know a little more. It might help all of us.” The boys nodded, but didn’t say anything.  Kurt continued, “I spent most of my Junior year at Dalton because I was bullied so badly. Dumpster tosses, locker checks, slushies. They got really bad, and I had bruises all over.  One person threatened to kill me.” Clay was shifting in his seat uncomfortably.

Kurt said, “I dated this guy while I was at Dalton -  Blaine. Several of us went out dancing. He faked getting drunk… I went to take him home, and..”  Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s back, comforting him. Kurt leaned into him as he continued, “he tried to rape me.”  Jack sat there stunned, but Clay was even more restless. Sebastian noticed his fists were balled. He decided right then and there that he liked Clay. “He...He beat the crap out of me.  I had a concussion, and lost consciousness at one point. Black eye, cuts, bruises. Scrapes from the pavement. Bas found us while it was happening,” he turned to look at his boyfriend, “and he saved me.  Blaine is doing 5 years in prison.”

“Shit,”  Clay quietly muttered.

Jack said, “I remember you coming to school with a black eye and cuts on your face.”

“That’s not all that’s happened,”  Puck said. The look on Clay and Jack’s faces was one of surprise and disgust all wrapped up in one.

Kurt looked up at Sebastian, and Sebastian understood.  He took over, “The main guy who was bullying Kurt the most, is gay, but he was in the closet.  He forced a kiss on Kurt, got scared Kurt would out him, and threatened to kill him. He apologized at the beginning of this school year, and Kurt forgave him.  He was there at the bar the night Blaine tried to rape Kurt, and he became even more obsessed with Kurt than he was before. He ended up stalking Kurt. We’ll simplify it and say that we now we both have restraining orders against him.”

“Shit, you’ve been through hell,”  Jack said.

Sam said, “That’s _still_ not all.  Mack. Mack hit on Leah, Sebastian’s sister.  She turned him down, and he basically became relentless about it.  Every time he saw her…” Sam took a deep breath, “Anyway, we faked being boyfriend and girlfriend, trying to get him to back off.”

Jack interrupted, “Wait.  In the locker room, Finn said your girlfriend was ‘Leah’.  Same girl?” He turned to Sebastian, “Your sister?”

Sebastian nodded with a grin, and Sam smiled, “Yeah, we aren’t faking it anymore.  Anyway,” his smile faded, “we had to rescue her one night when he showed up at her friend’s house drunk.  She had to lock herself in a bedroom. Mack was pissed. He couldn’t get to Leah or Seb at their schools, so he went after Kurt, knowing it would piss Seb off.  He shoved him into the lockers so hard, that it cut Kurt’s head. Then after the incident at Leah’s friend’s house, he called a fake football meeting, so Kurt would be alone.  He paid his friend in pot to come harass him. Punched him in the stomach a couple of times, calling him a ‘fag’, after he shoved him into the wall. And then last week….You probably know about that.”

“Yeah, man.  We know the basics.  Mack attacked Sugar and Kurt saved her, but, uh, got hurt pretty bad,”  Jack nodded. “That’s messed up.” He looked at Kurt, “You really have been through hell.  Sorry, man.”

Kurt sighed, “So, uh, those are the reasons I get a little jumpy.  Sometimes I’m okay, and sometimes I’m not. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,”  Clay said.

“Well, now you know why we’re all so protective of him.”  Puck said, and both boys nodded, “He’s a great guy, and he didn’t deserve any of what he’s been through.  People can be assholes. A lot of guys at school think that if Kurt touches them, they’ll turn out gay. Or they think it’s a choice for him, and if they bully him enough, he’ll choose differently.  Or, their just assholes.”

Jack nodded and then looked at Seb, “So how long have you two been together?”

Seb answered.  “Since a couple weeks after I broke my hand on Blaine’s face. Kurt is my world, and I will do anything and everything to make sure nothing else happens to him.   Seriously, don’t fuck with him.” Kurt squeezed his hand.

Clay shook his head, and surprised everybody when he said, “We won’t.  I won’t, at least. I’d kick Jack’s ass if he did.”

“Good.” Kurt began, grinning a little,  “Now that we have the hard stuff out of the way, let’s get to know each other.  Tell me about yourselves.”

Jack smiled, “Well, I’m a pretty typical high school student, I guess.  I lift weights, but I never really joined any sports teams. I played soccer for a few years, but didn’t stick with it.  I like movies. Marvel mostly. I’ve kind of been seeing a girl that goes to my church. He name is Emmalynn, and she goes to Carmel.  We aren’t serious yet, but I like her. My parents are divorced, and I live with my mom. I have a little brother, Jacob. He’s in Junior High School.  He’s a pain in the ass, but I love him.”

Kurt smiled.  He winked at Finn as he said, “I know all about pain in the ass brothers.”  He giggled as Finn made a face and made a sound of disapproval. He added, “You know I love you, Finn.  I’m just messing with you.”

“I know,” Finn singsonged.  “I love you, too, little brother.”

Jack smiled, “So how long have you two been brothers?”

“Last November made it one year.  I fixed our parents up. And, he’s actually MY little brother.”  Kurt smiled, as did the rest of the boys. “Finn’s dad died when he was a baby, and my mom died when I was eight.  Our parents were lonely, and I knew they would hit it off.” He turned to Clay, “So what about you, Clay?”

Clay smiled a sweet little half-smile and shrugged, “I’m quiet and keep to myself.  I like lifting weights, but I’m not really into playing sports. I love movies and music.  All kinds. That’s about it, I guess.”

“Hmmm…”  Kurt said, and Sebastian chuckled.  He knew Kurt wasn’t going to let Clay be that vague.  “So, do you have siblings?”

Clay nodded, “A little sister.  Brooke.”

“How old is she?”  

“13.”

“Parents?”

“Still together.”

“What do you want to do after graduation?”

“I plan on OSU or UC for physical therapy.”

“Hmmm...I think I have a new goal.”  Kurt smiled.

“What’s that, Babe?”  Sebastian grinned. He knew well and good what Kurt’s goal was.  

“I’m going to learn all about Clay.  I’m going to know more about him than anyone else in the school.”

Clay chuckled, “I think you already do.”

 

………………

 

The next day was a lot easier than the day before.  Kurt was still walked to all of classes by his friends.  That wasn’t going to change. But there were fewer eyes staring, and Kurt felt like it was a bit more normal.  

At the end of the school day, he headed to Cheerios practice.  He was a little nervous, but Sebastian had texted him some encouraging words, and getting to talk with Jack and Clay the day before with his friends there to support him had been very helpful.

“Hey, Kurt.”  Jack greeted as Kurt walked up to the guys.  

“Hi.”  Kurt said softly.

“Are you still nervous?”  Jack asked as gently as he could.

Kurt looked at anything but them as he nodded ‘yes’.  

Jack thought he’d try something different, “Hey, Sebastian seems like a cool guy.  Your brothers and Puck seem to think he’s great too.”

It worked.   Jack wasn’t lying, but he thought maybe it would ease Kurt into this a little easier.

Kurt smiled, “He is great.  I don’t know what I would do without him.”

After chatting for a couple of minutes, Jack asked, “Are you ready to give it a shot?”

Kurt took a deep breath, “Yeah.”  He sounded a bit more confident this time.  

“Okay.”  Jack walked up behind Kurt, “Are you ready?”

Kurt said, “Yeah.  Let’s go.”

Jack put his hands on Kurt’s waist, and Kurt bent his legs, jumping, as Jack lifted him straight up to the position where Kurt was standing on Jack’s hands.  Clay stayed in front of Jack, ready to catch Kurt if he fell. Kurt held the pose for a few shaky seconds before coming down with Jack catching him.

The three boys smiled at the success.  “Thanks for not dropping me,” Kurt said, playfully hitting Jack on the arm with the back of his hand.  “Let’s do it again.”

By the end of practice, Kurt was comfortable with both Jack and Clay doing basic lifts.  He was hopeful that he could do all of this while singing and was happy that Coach was pleased with his progress.  He was confident that this sealed the deal with his decision to stay at McKinley.


	40. Changing Directions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes things happen that make you change your mind about what you thought you wanted. It's kind of like a wake up call, and what is really important shines through in the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you know that line in Glee when Blaine says "Just when I thought you were going to zig, you zag"? Yeah, I feel that way about myself right now. I was not intending for this to happen. But it did. And I kinda like it. It will change some things I had planned, but that's okay. Hopefully you all understand why I changed it, and stick with me.  
> Kudos and Comments welcome.

 

Sebastian went to pick up Kurt for their coffee date on Wednesday after Cheerios practice.  He walked into the gym a few minutes before practice was over. He saw Sam in the bleachers, so he joined him.

“Hey, Seb.”  Sam greeted.

“Hey, Sam.”  Sebastian sat, and after a few seconds, said, “Hey, thanks for keeping an eye on him for me.”  He gave a dry laugh, “It sounds like we’re talking about babysitting him, but you know what I mean.”

“Yeah.  I don’t think he minds so much anymore that he’s constantly got someone with him.”  Sam said, as he and Sebastian both watched Kurt getting some air time.

“God, he’s amazing.”  Seb smirked. “I can’t believe how good he is at that. It’s only been a couple of days.”

“He’s so talented. He could probably do anything he put his mind to.”  Sam waited minute, looking down and seeing Clay grab Kurt around the waist, lifting him into the air like it was nothing. “Does it bother you?  Those two putting their hands on him?”

“More than you know,”  Sebastian mumbled quietly.  Sam nodded his head in understanding.  

 

……………….

 

The next two weeks flew by.  It was packed with Glee and Cheerio’s practice, as well as Kurt getting ready for his NYADA audition  He felt a little overwhelmed. He only had a couple of days until Cheer Nationals, just over a week until the Glee competition, and the NYADA audition in between.  He was sitting in Language Arts, trying to concentrate, but he couldn’t, so he asked the teacher if he could use the restroom. His main goal was to text Sebastian.

Kurt was walking down the hallway, typing in a text to his boyfriend.  He was just outside the restrooms when he nearly collided head-on into Avery.  “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, Avery! I was texting and walking. Bad combo, I guess.”

Avery giggled, “That’s okay, Kurt.  Texting Sebastian?”

Kurt smiled a little, “Yeah.  I’m just so nervous about this weekend.  And then with the audition and the Glee competition coming up...I don’t know.  I just wanted some words of reassurance, I guess.”

Avery gave him an understanding smile, “You’re going to be amazing, as always, Kurt.”  She gave him a quick hug and then went on her way as Kurt headed into the restroom.

As Avery rounded the corner, she passed Rick Nelson.  He bumped into her shoulder, and as she frowned and turned to watch him, she saw him head into the restroom.  She immediately felt sick to her stomach. She knew what an ass Rick always was to Kurt, and Kurt wasn’t paying attention since he was on his phone.

She sprinted back to class, heading straight for Clay.  She whispered in his ear, “Just saw Kurt go into the restroom, and then Rick Nelson went in right after him.”  She sounded panicked.

Clay didn’t say anything.  He just nodded and put a comforting hand on her arm as he stood.  He didn’t ask permission, he just left the room and headed straight for the restroom as quickly as he could.  Avery shot a text to Puck right away.

When he went inside, Kurt was standing in the corner, staring wide eyed at Rick, who was hovering above him.  Rick was whispering something to Kurt, but Clay couldn’t hear what. “Rick, leave,” Clay said in his deep, calm, voice.

Rick turned halfway around, and raised an eyebrow, “What?”

Something flashed in Clay’s eyes as he walked over to him, and made his point, “Leave.  You’re the only asshole in this school who hasn’t gotten the memo that Kurt is off limits.  Leave.” As Clay spoke, he could hear Kurt’s breathing increase. He knew he was beginning to have a panic attack.  Clay stepped in front of Kurt, essentially knocking Rick out of the way, “It’s okay, Kurt.” His voice was so deep and smooth.  It was very comforting, but it was not making the panic go away since Rick was still there.

Rick snarled, “Why are you helping this...this fag?”

Without moving his feet, Clay turned his upper body toward Rick, grabbed him by the shirt, and slammed him into the wall as he growled, “Do NOT call him that.  I’m helping him because he’s my friend, and I’m a decent human being. Unlike you.”

“Whatever!” Rick huffed as he pulled away from Clay and headed out the door. “This fucking school doesn’t need a fairy brainwashing the entire student body into thinking what he is is okay.”

Once he was gone, Clay took Kurt’s hand and placed it on his own chest, and calmly said, “Let’s do what Sebastian does.  Match my breathing, Kurt. Focus.”

Kurt’s breathing was starting to get back to normal when Puck came running into the restroom. “Princess!”  He headed straight for him, wrapping in a huge hug.

“Noah!,”  Kurt cried.  He held onto Puck for dear life.

Puck turned to Clay without letting go of Kurt, “Thanks, Clay.  That was really cool of you.” Clay nodded, and Puck turned his attention back to Kurt, “Did Rick touch you?”

“N-No.  He...He just scared me.  Said things.” Kurt mumbled into Puck’s shoulder.

“What kind of things, Princess?  Did he threaten you?” Puck was growling every word, trying to keep his anger reigned in.  

Kurt didn’t answer with words, but he squeezed his eyes shut, and nodded ‘yes’.  

Clay went over and picked up Kurt’s phone that had fallen to the ground, “Do you want to call Sebastian?”

Puck pulled back a little to look at Kurt.  Kurt took the phone and replied, “Yes, but...but, he’s going to be so upset.  He’ll want me to leave.”

Puck nodded, “I think the quote was, ‘If one more thing happens, I’m going to throw you over my shoulder and carry you out myself.’”

Clay gave a half smile to that.  He understood where Sebastian was coming from, but didn’t want Kurt to have to leave.  

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  But I can’t keep this from him.”

Puck looked Kurt in the eye, still not letting go of him, and asked, “What exactly did he say, Princess?  Tell me the truth.”

Kurt took a shaky breath and said, “He...He said ‘of all people who should be dead, it should be fairies like you.  Maybe we should take care of that’.” Tears fell as Kurt spoke. “I.. I don’t think I can stay here, Noah. I… I can’t even go to the restroom…”

At that, Clay left in a huff.  He headed straight for Coach Sylvester’s office.  He didn’t knock as he entered.

“You know, there’s this thing called knocking.  What’s the big emergency, Mr. Elliott?”

“Kurt.”

Coach stood, and urgently said, “What about him?”

“Rick Nelson.  He had him cornered in the bathroom when I went in.  Avery saw him go in after Kurt did, and she came to get me.  When I went in, he had Kurt in the corner. He didn’t touch him, but he told him of all people who should be dead, it’s fairies like him and maybe that should be taken care of,”  Coach was red, and he fists were clenched. Clay continued, “I didn’t hear any of it, but I made him back off, and eventually leave. Kurt had a panic attack. Puck is with him now.  I think he’s talking about going back to Dalton.”

“Damn it!”  Coach yelled, and then stormed out of the office toward the restroom.  On the way, Clay directed her to the right restroom. When they got there,  Puck still had a protective arm around Kurt, and she could tell that Kurt had been crying.

“Porcelain.  What the hell happened?!”

Something inside Kurt snapped, and he yelled,  “I’m not dead, that’s what happened! Apparently, this school is contaminated with me in it. I should be the one who died, and Rick may see to it that it happens!  And apparently, I should take the abuse, because I deserve it!” His face was red with anger and frustration. He took a deep breath, “I’ll be at practice. I’ll be at Nationals.  And then I’m gone. I can’t do this anymore.” He pulled out of Puck’s hold and stormed out. Puck followed him to the door, just to make sure he wasn’t intercepted by Rick, or any other of the Puckheads.  He watched from the front doors as Kurt got in his car and drove off.

 

Kurt was driving toward Dalton on autopilot.  He called his dad on the way.  
“Hey, Bud, are you okay?”

“No, Dad, I’m not.  I mean I’m not hurt, but I’m not okay.  I need to go to Dalton. I can’t do it anymore, Dad.”  Kurt was fighting the tears, and Burt could hear it in his voice.

“Okay, Kurt.  Whatever you need to do is fine.  What happened?”

“I’m not physically hurt, but my life was threatened again.  I just can’t do it, Dad. I left school. I’m driving to Dalton now.”

“Shit.  Okay, Bud.  I’m flying home this afternoon.  We’ll take care of it.” He paused for a minute, “What about cheer?  That’s this weekend.”

“I told Coach that I would be at practice, and I would go to Nationals.  Then I’m leaving.”

“Okay, Bud.  I’ll call you when my flight lands.  Hang in there.”

“Thank, Dad.”

Kurt texted Sebastian when he was stopped at red light.

 

**To Bas:**

I’ll be at Dalton in 10 minutes.  Can you meet me in the office, or in the commons?

 

His phone rang within seconds of sending the text.

“Hey,”  Kurt said quietly.

“What happened!?”  Sebastian sounded rushed and extremely concerned.  Why would Kurt be on his way to Dalton in the middle of the day is something didn’t happen?

Kurt took a deep breath, “I’m not hurt, but...would it be okay if I told you when I get there? Can… Can you see if we could have an emergency meeting with Headmaster Larson?”

Sebastian answered in a much calmer voice, “Yeah, Baby.  I’ll see you in a few minutes. I love you.” Seb knew something bad had to have happened.  Especially if they were meeting with Headmaster Larson. Kurt had decided to stay at McKinley before.  What could have happened?

Kurt had tears in his eyes as he said, “I love you too, Bas.”

 

Sebastian headed straight to Headmaster Larson’s office.  Mrs. Scott greeted him, “Hi, Sebastian. What can we do for you?”

“Hi, Mrs. Scott.  I just got a call from Kurt.  He said he’ll be here in a few minutes.  I think something happened at McKinley. He wanted to know if we could have an emergency meeting with Headmaster Larson when he gets here.”

“Oh, dear.  I hope he’s okay.  We’ll get you in. I will go and talk to the Headmaster now.”

“Thank you.  I’m going to wait outside for Kurt.”

 

Sebastian was on the front steps of Dalton when Kurt pulled into the lot in his Navigator.  He made his way down the steps as Kurt got out of the car. Kurt ran to Sebastian and the two embraced.  

“What happened, Baby?  Are you okay?” Sebastian pulled back from the hug and kissed Kurt on the forehead.

“I’m okay.  Let’s go inside.  If it’s okay, I only want to say this once.”  Seb nodded and Kurt grabbed Sebastian’s hand and they made their way inside.  

Mrs. Scott got out of her seat when she saw Kurt and gave him a big hug.  “He’s ready to see you whenever you’re ready, Kurt.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Scott.”  Kurt said softly. He looked at Sebastian and took a deep breath.  

Sebastian put his hand on Kurt’s back, “You can do it, Babe.  Let’s go.” They knocked on the door and then headed inside.

“Kurt!”  Headmaster Larson extended his hand as he stood.  Kurt shook it. “It’s nice to see you again. But I have a feeling it’s not for good reasons, since this is a last minute meeting.”

“No, sir.  It’s not good reasons.”  Kurt and Sebastian both sat down, and Kurt took a second to calm himself. “I know you know all about what happened earlier this month.  Thanks again for the flowers, by the way.”

Headmaster Larson gave a small nod, “I do.  I’m sorry you all had to go through that.”

“Thank you.  Well, things have been okay at school the last couple of weeks.  My friends have been very supportive and protective. It seemed like there was nothing to protect me from for awhile.  Azimio, a big football player that had bullied me, even nodded to me in the hallway last week. Anyway, I left class this morning to use the restroom, and a minute later, this hockey player jock named Rick came in.”

“Kurt!  Did her touch you?!”  Sebastian sat straight up, urgently.

Kurt shook his head, “No, Bas.”  He put his hand on Sebastian’s knee to calm him.  He turned to Headmaster Larson, “Rick has given Bas and I, along with Nick and Jeff, a hard time when we were on a double date.  He thinks homosexuality is disgusting, and he’s very vocal about it.” Headmaster nodded in understanding as Kurt continued, “He cornered me in the restroom.  He told me that I should be the one who is dead, and that since I’m not, maybe they should take care of that.” A tear slid down Kurt’s cheeks.

Sebastian grabbed his hand and squeezed it, “Kurt…”

Kurt shook his head and continued, “He thinks I brainwash people at school who accept me.  He thinks I contaminate everything…. Anyway, Clay came in and made him leave me alone, and then Noah came in after he was gone.  So he didn’t hurt me, but…” Kurt was full on crying now, and Sebastian pulled him into a hug as he continued, “I just… I can’t even go to the restroom!  My friends and brothers have to escort me everywhere. I just can’t keep wondering what’s going to happen next.  It’s not a matter of ‘if’ at this point. It’s a matter of ‘when’.  I just can’t….”

Sebastian rubbed his back, “It’s okay, Kurt.  You don’t have to go back.” He turned toward Headmaster Larson, “Does he?  He can re enroll here, can’t he?”

“Of course.  Last year when you enrolled mid-year, it was not typical.  But your situation is highly unusual, Kurt. We want you to be safe.  You will always be welcome here.” Headmaster Larson gave the boys a sympathetic smile.

Kurt tried to calm himself and nodded, “Thank you, Headmaster Larson.  I already spoke to my dad. He’s in DC, but he’s flying home this afternoon.  Maybe he could meet with you tomorrow? I have Cheer Nationals in North Carolina this weekend, and the bus leaves school on Friday morning. I’ll only have to go back to McKinley tomorrow, if I can start here next week.”

“We’ll make it work, Kurt.  I can make time to see your father whenever he can make it in.”

Sebastian said, “I don’t want you going back tomorrow, Kurt.  You shouldn’t return at all.”

Kurt nodded and looked down, “I know, Bas.  But if I don’t go to school the day before the competition, then I technically can’t perform.  The whole show revolves around me. I can’t do that to the rest of the squad.”

Sebastian sighed, “Alright.  I’ll talk to your brothers and Puck, and see what we can work out.”

“Kurt, why don’t you stay for lunch.  I’ll work on getting things started on my end.  As you may remember, part of the requirements of enrolling mid-year due to bullying, is that you stay on campus.  I’ll see what we have available, so I’m ready to talk to your dad tomorrow.”

“Okay.  Thank you Headmaster Larson.  I appreciate how warm and welcoming you’ve always been to me.”  Kurt gave a small sad smile.

“It’s my pleasure, Kurt.  No one should have to go through what you have been through.  School should be a safe, welcoming place. A second home.”

The three men stood as Kurt and Sebastian said their thank you’s to both Headmaster Larson and Mrs. Scott.  The boys went to the commons area, where Kurt let Sebastian know a play by play of the day’s events. Sebastian held Kurt’s hand and listened carefully.  When he was finished, Sebastian put his forehead against Kurt’s, “I’m so sorry, Baby. I can’t imagine how upsetting that must have been...and still is.” He leaned back, placing a hand on Kurt’s cheek,  “You’re making the right choice, Kurt. I know you don’t want to leave your family at school, but it’s different than it was last year. This time, you’re better friends with the Warblers, and you have me.  You can see your family any time you want. You can meet them for coffee every Wednesday, like we do. You can see them every weekend. I won’t monopolize your time, like he did last year. And most importantly, you’ll be safe.”

Kurt nodded, “I know it will be different.  And I can live without fashion for awhile longer, considering I’ve lived in this cheer uniform for the last few months.  I’m just going to miss them so much. This is the last year we had together before everyone goes their separate ways, and now that’s been taken away from me.”

“I’m so sorry, Baby.”  Sebastian leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips.  “I wish there was more I could do.”

“I know.”  He paused, “I’m going to need some alone time soon, Sir.”

“I figured you would, Babe.”  Seb leaned over and kissed Kurt on the forehead.  “Classes are going to dismiss for lunch in a couple of minutes.  After we eat, we’ll talk about when we can take care of you a little more.  Kurt, I want you to know that I’m proud of you. I’m proud that you are doing what’s best for you and your safety.”

Kurt looked at Sebastian with tears in his eyes.  This time, they were tears of relief. “Thank you, Sir.”

“You’re welcome, Babe.”  

 

A few minutes later, Sebastian took Kurt into the cafeteria.  Needless to say, all eyes were on Kurt. Among the room full of navy Dalton blazers, he was wearing his mostly red cheer uniform.  

Kurt was beginning to feel a little self conscious, but was shaken from his stupor when he heard a squeal come from behind him. He turned around and was immediately engulfed in a Jeff’s arms.

“Kurtsie!!!”

Kurt giggled as he hugged back, “Hey, Jeff.”

“Damn, I always forget how sexy you look in that uniform.”  Jeff smiled.

Kurt felt Sebastian tighten his grip as he heard a voice say, “He does look sexy in that uniform.”

Kurt turned around to see Shawn standing there, looking at him up and down.  Now was not the time to piss Sebastian off. Not after what Kurt had been through earlier in the day.  He stepped in front of Kurt. “He is off limits, Shawn,” He growled.

“Sure,”  Shawn chuckled and then turned and walked away.  

Sebastian watched him walk away until he felt Kurt put his hand on his shoulder, “It’s okay, Bas.”

Sebastian shook his head, “I don’t like him, Babe.  I don’t want you leaving one situation, just to walk into a different one.”

Kurt sighed, “It’s better to have a problem with someone liking me too much, than hating me too much.”

Sebastian took a deep cleansing breath, ‘You’re right.  But he better back off.”

Jeff frowned, “Wait.  What? What’s going on?”

Kurt said, “How about we share with everyone at lunch…”

“Okay, Kurtsie.”  Jeff put a comforting hand on Kurt’s shoulder.  

“Why don’t you go sit, Babe.  I think Thad is already over there.  I’ll get our lunch and be right back.”  

“Okay.” Kurt made his way over to the table where Thad, Trent, and Cameron were sitting with a couple of other Warblers.  “Hi,” he said rather shyly as he took a seat.  He wasn’t sure why he felt shy.  Maybe because so many people were still looking at him.  

“Hey, Kurt!”  Several boys responded.  

“What are you doing here today?”  Thad asked. “I mean, it’s always good to see you, but it’s the middle of the day and not a holiday, so…”

“I’ll explain once Bas gets back.”  Kurt was looking around at everyone who was looking over his way.

Cameron watched him, “It’s not just the uniform, Kurt.  It’s the first time you’ve been back since the attack. People are curious.  Maybe they’re making sure you’re okay.” He chuckled, “Or maybe it _is_ the uniform.”

Kurt smiled a little at that.  “Yeah, I guess it does make me stand a bit, huh?”

Thad laughed, “Just a bit.”

Sebastian came back with lunch, followed by Nick and Jeff.  After some warm greetings from Nick, and the arrival of a couple more guys, Sebastian suggested that Kurt eat before they tell everyone.  Kurt whispered, “I’d rather you tell them.  Please.”

“Okay, Babe,”  Sebastian said quietly.  They ate their lunch, and then Sebastian turned toward the group, “You all know what kind of year Kurt has had since returning to McKinley,”  Everyone nodded, but waited silently for more information. “Well, today something happened that pushed Kurt to leave. He will be re enrolling at Dalton, and hopefully starting classes on Monday.  He’ll return to McKinley tomorrow, with what I’m sure will seem like a personal safety squad of his brothers, Puck, and Mike.”

“And Santana, Clay, and Jack,”  Kurt added.

Sebastian smirked, “And Santana, Clay, and Jack.  He has to go tomorrow in order to qualify for Cheer Nationals.  Their entire show revolves around him, so he won’t skip and let them down.”  He looked at Kurt, “I understand, but I’m not happy about it.”

Everyone looked surprised, confused, and even frustrated on Kurt’s behalf.  “What happened today?” Jeff asked softly. “Did someone hurt you?”

Sebastian looked at Kurt to see if he wanted that question answered.  Kurt quietly said, “Basically I was cornered in the restroom, and my life was threatened again.  He said I should have been the one who died, and they may have to take care of that.”

There were gasps and sounds of disgust among the boys.  “How the hell do these people get away with that?” Nick asked.  “What the fuck is wrong with them?”

Kurt said, “It was Rick.  The one you had the pleasure of meeting at Breadstix when we went on our double date.”

“Shit!”  Jeff and Nick said in unison.

“I’m assuming this isn’t the first time this Rick guy has been an asshole?”  Cameron asked.

“No,”  Sebastian answered, “He confronted us one night and called us all fairies.  Told us to leave the restaurant. He’s been a bully to Kurt for a long time.”

“He’s one of the guys who used to throw me in dumpsters, do locker checks, and slushie me.”  

The look on the guys faces told Sebastian that they didn’t know about the extent of the bullying.  “Things were really bad before Kurt came here the first time.” He looked at Kurt, silently asking if it was okay for them to know.  Kurt nodded. “He was thrown in dumpsters, had slushies thrown in his face, got ‘locker checks’ where they would shove and even throw him into the sides of lockers.  He was covered in bruises. He didn’t say anything, but one night Puck was over and walked in on him when he was getting undressed to shower. He saw the bruises and told Finn.  They took care of a lot of the bullying at school. Except for Karofsky, who took it too far. When Karofsky threatened to kill him, that’s when he came here last year.”

“Why didn’t you tell us this last year, Kurt?  We knew you were bullied, but we didn’t know the extent.”  Trent asked.

“I just wanted a fresh start,”  Kurt answered quietly. Trent nodded in understanding.

“So,”  Sebastian continued, “That’s why his brothers, Mike, and Puck are so protective of him.  Other than when Mack came along, this year had been okay when it comes to being at school.  But now, with this threat….It’s just too much.”

“I love you guys.  And I’ve gotten to know some of you a lot better this year than I ever did when I was here.  Having Bas here, and knowing you guys better will make being here easier for me than it was last year.  But I’m not happy about having to leave the rest of my family. I don’t even know if they know yet. Puck was with me when I lost it today and left.  I’m sure he will say something in Glee, but they won’t be happy with me. Especially with the competition coming up. I know they want me safe, but still...”

“You have to do what’s best for you, Kurt.  Being safe needs to be your top priority.” Nick reassured him, and Kurt nodded in agreement.

“Speaking of safety,”  Sebastian started, “Shawn.”  Kurt took a deep breath. He hated that Sebastian was bringing that up, but if his Dom thought it was in his best interest, he had to let it go. “Shawn was hitting on me before until he saw Kurt.  He’s left me alone for the most part since then. But today when he saw Kurt, he made a comment that just didn’t sit well with me. I don’t want Kurt leaving one situation, and come right into another one.  I want everyone keeping an eye on Shawn once Kurt starts back. I know Shawn can be mouthy and it may be nothing. I may just be overprotective, but after what Kurt’s been though, I’m not taking any chances.”  Everyone agreed, and it made Sebastian feel a lot better.

 

After lunch, Sebastian asked Kurt what he was going to do until Cheer practice.  He really didn’t want him returning to school.

“I think I’m going to go work in the shop for a little while.  Cassius will be there, and I won’t be able to work weekdays now, so I’d like to work with him for a bit.”  Kurt was looking down at the ground while they walked slowly toward the front of the school.

“I think that would be nice.”  Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hand, “Thank you for being brave enough to make a tough decision.  I know it’s not what you wanted, but I think you are making the right choice.”

Kurt gave a small smile, “Me too.”

 

Once Kurt was in his car and on his way, Sebastian called his dad.  

“Seb?  Is everything okay?”  Robert sounded worried.

“I’m hoping it will be, Dad.  Kurt showed up at Dalton today.  Someone at McKinley, a jock that has bullied him in the past, threatened to kill him today.”

“Holy shit.  What else can that poor boy take?”  Robert sighed.

“I know.  But, he’s re enrolling here.  I’m so glad he made the right choice.”

“Me too, Seb.”

“I just wanted to let you know, in case Burt decides to take legal action.  I thought maybe knowing in advance might help.”

“It will.  Thanks. Seb, can they afford Dalton?”

“I’m assuming.  Burt told Kurt he could re enroll when he was in the hospital.  I don’t know.”

“Okay, Sebastian.  I’m glad you gave me a heads up.  I’ll talk to you tonight.”

“Okay, thanks.  Bye, Dad.” Sebastian hung up and headed straight to class.

 

Once they hung up, Robert called Headmaster Larson.  

“Mr. Smythe, what can I do for you?”

“I understand Kurt will be re enrolling this week, and starting next week.  I wanted to speak to you before you spoke to Burt Hummel. I want to create something called a ‘Safe School Scholarship’.  I will be providing this scholarship yearly. If there is a year that it is not needed, it will roll over into the next year.  It’s purpose is to provide the years tuition and boarding monies for students who need to come to Dalton because their school has been proven unsafe.  I want Kurt to receive the first year’s scholarship, however, I do not want him to know it is from us, and I want him to think it has been in place all year.  Is that something you can agree to?”

Headmaster Larson smiled, “Yes, sir, I think that sounds fantastic.  I don’t think there is a more deserving student. On a side note...He’s lucky to have you and your family.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen two people in love like he and Sebastian.”

“We are lucky to have him in our lives, and I plan on keeping it that way.  If paying for him to go to Dalton keeps him alive and happy, then so be it.”

 

 

The moment Kurt left McKinley, Coach Sylvester was on a personal mission to find Rick Nelson.  She saw him approaching in between bells and stuck her foot out as he passed. He fell to the ground and busted his lip on the books that were in his arms.

“Oh, Rick.  You’re just the guy I was looking for.”  Coach snarled.

Rick stood back up, “Why?”

Coach grabbed him by the arm and dragged him down the hallway.  “We’re going to see Figgins. You’re being suspended, possibly expelled, for threatening the life of another student.  There goes any chances of sports scholarships.”

“What?!  I didn’t threaten anyone.”  He spat.

“Oh yeah?”  Coach stopped, pushing him against the locker.  She got right in his face. “Porcelain tells me otherwise.  Seeing the look on his face, I tend to believe him, instead of a nimrod like you.  That boy had been through hell, and you decide he needs to die because of who he’s sexually attracted to?  Were you born yesterday?”

“It’s disgusting.  It’s wrong.  It’s a sin.”  Rick spat back, not budging under the glare of Coach Sylvester.  

“You may not like it, but it’s not a choice for gay people.  And a sin? Do you think God thinks highly of your treatment of him?  Do you think God is happy about you throwing him into dumpsters and lockers?  Do you think God will let you into Heaven knowing you threatened to take away the life GOD gave HIM?!”  Coach was yelling by the end her rant, and a crowd had gathered around. “YOU make me sick. Now, Porcelain will be here after school today, and again tomorrow all day.  If you are lucky enough to be here, and you, or any other jock, so much as look at him the wrong way, I will make sure you don’t see these halls again for a long, _long_ time.  Understood?”

Rick mumbled something.

“What’s that?!”  

“Understood.”  Rick mumbled a bit louder.  At that, Coach dragged him down to Figgins office.  

It took some talking, but Coach convinced Figgins to have him suspended without the presence of Kurt there to share his side of the story. She was going to work on an expulsion. She also called Rick’s mother on speaker phone. She explained the situation, including past behavior, and had her come pick Rick up from school.

 

Puck texted everyone right away and had them meet him in the choir room for lunch.  Once everyone was in, he addressed the room, including Mr. Schuester. “If I could have everyone’s attention, please.”  He waited while everyone quieted down.

Sam said, “Wait.  Don’t start yet.  Kurt isn’t here.”

Puck continued, “That’s why I called you here.  Princess left.  And I’m not so sure he’s coming back.”

“What do you mean, Puck?  What happened?”  Sugar asked.

“He’s not hurt, but uh, Rick Nelson happened,”  There was a buzz in the room of everyone talking over each other.

“What the hell happened, Puck!?”  Finn yelled.

“Calm down.  Listen.”  Puck took a deep breath as everyone got quiet again, “I got a text from Avery awhile ago.  She’s one of the Cheerio’s, for those of you who don’t know her.  Anyway, she ran into Princess in the hallway during class time, and then saw him go into the restroom.  And then she saw Rick go in right after. She knows how Rick is with him, so she sent Clay in after him. When Clay went in to the restroom, Rick had Princess in the corner.  He was saying things to him, and Princess looked scared. He got Rick to leave, and right after is when I got there. Princess said that Rick told him that _he_ should be the one who is dead, and since he isn’t, maybe they should fix that.”

“What the hell!?”  Finn yelled. He stood and was pacing back and forth.  Everyone was upset and talking over each other.

Puck noticed Sugar begin to cry, so he went and held her.  “What about Angel, Puck? Where is he now?”

Everyone quieted down so they could hear the answer.  “I was holding him and he was really upset. Clay had gone to get Coach.  When she asked what happened, he kind of snapped.  He said he couldn’t even go to the restroom, and that he couldn’t do it anymore.  He said he had to leave. I’m assuming he went to Dalton. I don’t think he’s coming back.”

Finn and Santana stormed out of the room.  They were looking for Rick, and they were looking for blood.  

Sam sat calmly, until he decided to get up and sit on the other side of Sugar.  He put his hand on her back, “Are you okay, Sugar?”

She nodded ‘yes’, and then Puck asked Sam, “So why are you not upset?  You seem to be the calmest one in the room.”

Sam took a second to gather his thoughts, “I _am_ very upset that Rick threatened Kurt.  God, that’s the last thing he needs.  But, I’m glad Kurt didn’t stick around to test the waters, or assume Rick’s threat was fake.  He was smart.  Leaving was the right thing to do.”

“Yeah.  As much as I hate it, I think you’re right.  Dalton is the safest place he can be. This is probably the best move he can make.”

 

Finn and Santana couldn’t find Rick anywhere.  Santana dragged Finn with her to Coach Sylvester’s office.  

Coach spoke before the other two had a chance to.  “Rick has been expelled. I’m assuming that’s who you’re looking for.  Porcelain will be here after school for practice.  We’ll talk to him then.”  They both left without saying a word.

 

Kurt was working on changing the oil on a car when he got a text from Sebastian.

**To Babe:**

I’m picking you up from the shop and taking you to cheer practice, where I’m staying the whole time.  I don’t want you to go in there alone. I’m leaving during study hall.

**To Bas:**

Okay.  Can we take my car home first?

**To Babe:**

Of course.  See you soon.  I love you.

**To Bas:**

I love you, too.

 

When Kurt and Sebastian arrived at McKinley, the entire cheer squad was already sitting in a circle in the middle of the gym.  Puck, Sugar, Finn, and Sam were sitting in the bleachers close by. Coach was standing off to the side of the circle.

“Am I late?”  Kurt asked as they walked in.  Sebastian gave his shoulder a bit of a squeeze, and then took a seat next to Puck.

“No.  We were just ready early.”  Coach said.

“You mean you all got together to talk about me before I got here,”  Kurt put his hand on his hip and cocked his eyebrow. Sebastian could help but smile a bit.  Kurt was so sexy without even trying.

“You could say that.”  Coach said.

“Alright.  So now what?” Kurt asked.

“Are you sticking with what you said earlier?  Rick was expelled today.” Coach questioned.

“I am.”  Kurt didn’t budge.  “I’m tired of all the bullshit in this school.  Rick will be back, just like Karofsky was. I’m tired of not feeling, or being, safe enough to go to the restroom.  I don’t want my family to have be like the secret service to make sure I’m okay.  School shouldn’t be like that, and I shouldn’t have to afraid all time.  I’m starting at Dalton next week.”

“We can do a better job, Porcelain.”  Coach said. She almost looked desperate.

Kurt shook his head, “No.  You know what it’s been like for me here.  Let me tell you what it’s like for me at Dalton.  I go to class, I eat lunch, I study, I hang out with friends, I laugh, I sing.  Do you need to go on?”

“You do all of that here,” A cheerleader said from the circle.  

“That’s true,”  Kurt said, “But it’s the things that I didn’t list that are important.  I didn’t mention, slushies, locker checks, dumpster tosses, name calling, or death threats.  Those things don’t happen at Dalton.” He looked around at everyone who looked defeated, “Look, I’m not abandoning you.  I’m still going to Nationals with you. After that, most of you would just see me in the hallways and I might get a hello, or a wave.”  He sighed, “Let’s get started.”

 

As the squad got busy practicing, Sebastian turned to the guys, “Okay.  Let’s talk about what tomorrow is going to look like.”


	41. Cheer Nationals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt faces his last day at McKinley and goes to Nationals for Cheer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So close to 200 Kudos! If you like my story, please leave a Kudos or a comment...Or both!

 

Entering the halls of McKinley High School for the last time as a student was not as difficult as Kurt thought it would be. Yes, he would miss his ‘family’, but as he walked the halls he noticed all the places where he had been slammed into lockers, had slushies thrown in his face, and even been knocked unconscious... Those memories made it quite easy for him to leave. It was only when it was time for Glee Club that it made leaving difficult. The choir room had become a sanctuary, and the members of this club had become his family over the years. They stuck by him through thick and thin, they protected him, they loved him for who he was, and it was them that he was going to miss the most.

The room was eerily quiet when he walked in. Everyone looked sad, and all eyes were on him.  He took a deep breath, grabbed a chair, and sat in the middle of the room in front of the class. “I'm sorry that I have to leave,”  Kurt said quietly. “I just can't do it anymore. It's like playing a game of Russian Roulette. You don't know when it's going to happen, but you know it's going to happen one of these days.  One of the threats isn’t going to be a threat anymore... It'll be for real. One of these days when I get slammed into a locker, or into a wall, I won't wake up. I love you all, and I thank you for being my family, and for truly loving me for who I am, but this is something I have to do for my own safety. I hope you understand.”

“We do, Angel,”  Sugar said. “As much as we’re all going to miss you, this is the smartest move for you.  We can’t be selfish and ask you to stay for us. This has to be done for you. You are who we care about in this situation.”  Kurt smiled a small, sad, smile at her. He held his hands out and Sugar came over and climbed in his lap. He whispered to her, “Are you going to be okay?”  

She whispered back, “Yeah.  And I will be even better if I know you’re somewhere safe.  I love you, Angel. When I think of something else horrible happening to you… I just can’t, Angel.  I need you to go. Go be safe. Go be with Seb, and Niff, and Thad, and Cameron. You need this, so _I_ need this.”

Kurt didn’t look so sure, “I’m going to worry about you so much.”

“No, Angel.  When we were in the hospital, and you hadn’t woken up, I could barely speak.  Not just because of my throat. It was because I was so worried about you. I can’t do that again.  You being better, has made me better. If something were to happen to you, Angel… I just can’t handle that.”  Kurt didn’t say anything back. He just kissed her cheek and held her close for a minute. Then without whispering, she said, “Besides, you’re going to get your cute butt up early every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to help me set up Sugar Shack treats at Dalton.”

Kurt smiled, “You can count on it.”

Puck grinned and said, “And we’ll get to see you way more often than we did last year.  Seb isn’t what Jeff calls a ‘Kurt-hog’. He won’t monopolize your time.”

Kurt grinned back and nodded, “We’ve talked about that already, actually.  Bas and I usually meet for coffee on Wednesdays, but now that I will be at Dalton with him, I was hoping you guys could be my Wednesday coffee date?”  Everyone liked that idea and happily agreed.

“So, what’s the plan, Kurt?  What does this look like? This is one of the busiest times of the school year.”  Mike wondered how Kurt was going to manage.

“Well, I’ll be leaving tomorrow with the Cheerio’s for Nationals in North Carolina.  So today is my last day here. Dad is registering me at Dalton today so that I can start on Monday.  I’ll come back here after school on Tuesday for my NYADA audition. I don’t know what will happen for Regionals.  The Warblers have been practicing for a long time already. I doubt I’ll be able to join them with only a week’s notice, excluding Tuesday.  So, I guess that’s all up in the air.”

It was silent for a couple of moments, and then Sam said,  “We’re going to miss you, Kurt. It won’t be the same without you here, or at home during the week.”   

Kurt had tears in his eyes, “I’m going to miss you too.”

 

Sebastian worried about Kurt all day.  They texted at lunch, but other than that, he hadn’t heard from him, which he took as a good sign.  He didn’t typically go to Cheerio’s practice on Thursdays, but with the threat from yesterday, he couldn’t just sit at school.  

He walked in to find practice well underway.  He stood leaning against the door frame to the gym, watching Kurt get some serious air time.  

Coach spotted him and walked over.  She didn’t take her eyes off of the squad as she said,   “I tried, ya know.” She felt bad that she wasn’t able to keep Kurt as safe as he needed to be.

Sebastian glanced at her, “I know.”

She looked at Seb for a minute, “You really love him, don’t you?”  Technically it was a question, but it sounded more like a statement.  

Sebastian grinned, “More than anything.”

A minute later, Coach asked, “So, what about after graduation?”

Sebastian didn’t look away from Kurt, “We’re going to New York.  We’re moving in together.”

Coach rolled her eyes fondly, “Probably into a penthouse.”

Sebastian smirked, “Yep.”  

Coach smiled and shook her head.  She was glad Kurt had Sebastian. She actually really liked him.  “Are you coming to Nationals?”

“Yeah.  Leah and I are flying in tomorrow night.  It’s a surprise, though.”

“Good. Come find me if you want backstage access after we perform.  Here’s my card. Let me know if I can help with the surprise.” At that, Coach walked away, shouting commands to the squad.  

Sebastian smiled as he pocketed the business card.  He looked into the bleachers and saw Puck, Sugar, Sam, and Finn, so he walked over and joined them.

Once practice was over, Kurt ran over to meet Sebastian who had already made his way to the bottom of the bleachers.  He practically jumped into Sebastian’s arms. Seb chuckled, “Hi, Baby.”

“Hi, Bas.”  Kurt pulled away and smiled at him, then leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.  

They held hands as they started toward the door, but then Sebastian turned, making his way to Clay.  Clay looked up and grinned, “Hey”.

“Hey, Clay,”  Sebastian started, “In the craziness of yesterday, I didn’t really get a chance to thank you for being there for Kurt when he needed it.  I know we both really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem,”  Clay shrugged.

“It was really great of you, Clay.  I mean, who knows what would have happened…”  Kurt’s voice quieted at the end.

Sebastian could feel him tense.  He quickly said, “Just, thanks, Clay.  Really.”

Clay nodded and said, “Yeah, man.  I’ve got your back.”

 

Sebastian and Kurt were in the Seb’s car driving back to Kurt’s house.  Sebastian squeezed Kurt’s hand, “Are you doing okay, Babe? How did today go?”

Kurt was looking out his window, but turned to explain to Sebastian how each time he turned a corner, he was faced with the memory of one form of abuse or another.  “So, I guess what I’m saying is that I’m not going to miss it….Just the choir room, and the people in it.”

“I know, Babe.  I’m sorry.” Sebastian gave his hand another squeeze.  “Do you still want some alone time?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Twenty minutes later, Kurt was naked, on his knees, head bowed, and hands behind his back.  He could feel the tension in his shoulders melt away. As Sebastian ran his hands through his hair as he stood before him, Kurt couldn’t have been more grateful, or felt more loved.  

 

……………….

 

The next day, Kurt was standing outside the school, waiting to load his suitcase in the luggage compartment under the tour bus he was assigned to.  He was surrounded by Santana, Brittany, Quinn, Avery, Clay, and Jack. He felt like they were making a wall around him. Although he didn’t think it was necessary, he was still grateful for it.  

The bus was set to leave before the arrival of McKinley students, so Kurt was surprised when he turned and saw his brothers walking up to them.  

“What are you guys doing here?”  Kurt had cocked his head to the side as he asked the question.

Both boys smiled as they went for hugs.  Finn answered, “We just wanted to say goodbye one more time, and make sure you guys leave with, um, no complications.”

Kurt smiled softly, “Thanks, guys.”

Sam turned to Jack and Clay, “You guys have to keep an eye on him.”  Jack and Clay nodded in response.

Kurt rolled his eyes, “I don’t need babysitting.  It’s not like Rick and the other Neanderthals are going to drive to North Carolina just to torture me.”

Sam added, “No, but I’m sure Lima isn’t the only redneck school that has some crazy Neanderthals running around.  Just in case, Kurt. Better safe than sorry.”

Kurt sighed, “Yeah, I’ve been repeating those words to myself a lot lately.”

“He’ll be fine.  We’ll make sure of it.”  Jack smiled. Kurt smiled back, grateful for the support of both Clay and Jack.  

 

The bus ride was long, but comfortable.  Coach had made them all wear their school issued sweatpants and McKinley t-shirts and/or hoodies.  Kurt felt like he was in his pajamas as he and Quinn were snuggled up together as the hours passed by.  He was staring out the window somewhere in southern West Virginia when Quinn asked, “What are you thinking about?  You took your earbuds out a while ago, and you haven’t said a thing.”

Kurt smirked, winked at her, and then put a finger to his lips as he gestured to the seats in front of them.  

Quinn frowned in confusion as she whispered as quietly as possible, “Are you eavesdropping?”

Kurt chuckled and nodded ‘yes’.  Quinn’s eyes widened. This was so unlike Kurt.  He playfully rolled his eyes, then leaned over to whisper in her ear, “Clay and Avery are sitting in front of us.  I know for a fact that Clay wants to be with a nice girl, and who better than her? I kind of tricked them into sitting together.  I’m just seeing how it’s going…”

Quinn giggled at that but then her face fell, “Wait.  What do you mean ‘who better than her’? What about me?  I’d like to be with a nice boy. You could have set me up with him.  He’s cute!”

Kurt shook his head, “Nope.  I already have plans for you.”  He giggled when he saw the look on her face.

“What?  Who?!”

“A Warbler… Cameron.”  He smiled, watching to see what her reaction would be.

She sat thinking for only a couple of seconds, then her face lit up, “Cameron was at the hospital, wasn’t he?!”

Kurt smiled as he nodded, “Yep.  And he asked about you then. So I know he’s crushing on you.  He’s super nice. Actually, I’m pretty sure he’s going to be my roommate for the rest of the year.”

“He doesn’t already have a roommate?”  

Kurt shook his head, “No.  He was assigned one before school started, but they never showed up.”

“Hmm.  You set it up, or give him my number.  He’s cute. And if he can sing, even better.”  Quinn winked at him.

“Deal,”  Kurt grinned.

 

They reached the hotel in Charlotte nine hours after leaving Lima.  Coach only allowed thirty minutes for lunch and one restroom stop. Everyone piled out of the buses, stretching their tired, stiff, muscles.  They went inside to get the rooms situated, and Kurt was grateful that Coach took his request seriously, and roomed him with Santana, Brittany, and Quinn.  Not that he didn’t like Clay and Jack, but he loved his girls, and didn’t want there to be any weird awkwardness between he and the boys.

Coach got everyone’s attention and told them they had two hours before they needed to be ready for dinner.  They had reservations at an Italian restaurant downtown Charlotte, and then they got a couple of hours to explore the city before curfew.  

When they arrived at the restaurant, they all filed into a separate dining room that had been reserved just for them. They sat and enjoyed their dinner, talking about what they wanted to see in the city.  Plates were being cleared when Coach announced, “Porcelain… Apparently, this place has dessert that’s made just for you.”

Kurt raised his eyebrows, “Cheesecake?”

Coach chuckled, and then Sebastian and Leah walked it.  Sebastian laughed, “No. Not cheesecake.”

Kurt’s eyes widened and his face lit up, “Bas!”  He jumped up and ran over to Sebastian. Sebastian chuckled, and lifted him up a little as they hugged, “Hey, Baby!  Surprise!” Every girl in the room had heart eyes looking at the two of them.

Once he set Kurt back down, Kurt leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.  He quickly turned and gave Leah a huge hug. “I can’t believe you guys.”

Leah smiled, “We wouldn’t miss this, Kurt.”

When Jack saw Leah, he leaned over and asked Santana who she was.  Santana smirked, “That’s Leah. She’s Sebastian’s sister. She’s also Sam Evan’s girlfriend, so you’re out of luck.”

Jack smiled, “Lucky Sam.”  Santana nodded in agreement.

 

Kurt and his family walked around the city.  They ducked into different art galleries and shops, walked through some small gardens and parks.   It was a lovely city, and Kurt loved the history that just seemed to ooze from every city block.

Once it was time to head back for curfew, Kurt turned to Sebastian, “Wait, where are you guys staying?”

Sebastian smiled and winked, “Same hotel as you.”

Kurt smiled back, knowing what that meant he was in store for, “Mmm.”  He paused for a minute, “I’m so anxious, I don’t think I’m going to be able to sleep tonight.”

 

An hour later, Leah and Kurt had swapped rooms.  As soon as the door closed behind Kurt, Sebastian pushed him up against the wall, devouring his gorgeous, plump, lips.  Kurt moaned into the kiss, “Mmm, Bas.”

“Baby, you have no idea what you do to me,”  Sebastian said as he kissed his way down Kurt’s neck.  He leaned back to look at Kurt. He ran his hand down Kurt’s face, “Let’s take a shower.  Then I’ll make sure you’re worn out enough to sleep.”

……………………...

 

The next morning, Kurt woke up in Sebastian’s arms.  He couldn’t wait until this was how he woke up every day.  It would be reality before they knew it. “Mmm, ‘morning, Bas,” Kurt said as he stretched out like a cat.

“G’morning, Baby.  Are you ready to kick some major cheerleading butt today?”  Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s bare back as he sat up.

Kurt tuned to look at his boyfriend, “Ya know, I think I actually am.”

Sebastian sat up and kissed Kurt chastely on the lips, “You’re amazing, Babe.  I’m so proud of you.”

Kurt blushed a little, and a warm feeling spread through his chest knowing Sebastian was proud of him.  He quietly whispered, “Thank you.”

 

A half hour later, Sebastian knocked on the bathroom door, “Babe, hurry up.  You have to be downstairs in just a few minutes.”

“Almost done.”  Kurt answered.

A minute later, Kurt opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom. He looked so much like the first time Sebastian saw him cheer, and it took his breath away.  His hair was mussed, his eyes were lined, with a hint of mascara on. “Damn, Baby.” Sebastian took a deep breath and said, “Okay, we better go, before we have a repeat of last night.”

Kurt chuckled, “Okay, Bas.”  He ran his fingers gingerly across Sebastian’s chest as walked past him and walked into the hallway.  Sebastian let out a low growl as he watched Kurt strut away.

 

\--

Back in Ohio, there was a ‘watch party’ happening in the commons room at Dalton.  The Cheer Nationals were televised and the Warblers had gotten day passes for the New Directions and Chris to come and watch it with them.  They all brought snacks and drinks to share and were having a great time together. It was nice to know that they could all have so much fun together without Kurt and Sebastian there to tie the two groups together.  

“So, are you Warblers going to let Kurt sing at Regionals?” Rachel asked out of nowhere.

Thad shrugged, “If he wants to join us, and thinks he can catch on in a week, he’s more than welcome to.  I’ve never seen anybody learn so quickly. But I know he has a lot on his plate this week. I guess we’ll discuss it at Monday’s rehearsal.”

Sam smiled, “Wait until you see what he does today.  He just started learning it a couple of weeks ago. It’s amazing.”

\--

 

Burt joined Sebastian and Leah about an hour after the competition started.  He hugged both of them as he took his seat.

“How was your flight, Burt?” Sebastian asked.

“Short, so it was all good.”  Burt smiled.

Leah smiled, “McKinley is coming up soon.  I’m so excited!” Sebastian and Burt both smiled.  

 

About 20 minutes later, the lights dimmed and William McKinley was announced.  The three of them sat up, ready to watch Kurt work his magic.

The routine started with _For Your Entertainment_ by Adam Lambert.   They began with a formation of Cheerio’s gathered around Kurt in the middle of the floor.  They were gradually dispersed to the edges of the floor, like a starburst. When the beat started, the Cheerio’s at the outermost edges began their routine, adding more girls joining in as they went toward Kurt.  When the lyrics began, Kurt joined in on the motions, strutting forward, as he sang...

“So hot

Out the box

Can we pick up the pace?

Turn it up,

Heat it up

I need to be entertained

Push the limit

Are you with it?

Baby, don't be afraid

I'm a hurt 'ya real good, baby

Let's go

It's my show

Baby, do what I say

Don't trip off the glitz

That I'm gonna display

I told ya

I'm a hold ya down until you're amazed

Give it to ya 'til you’re screaming my name

No escaping when I start

Once I'm in I own your heart

There's no way you'll ring the alarm

So hold on until it's over”

 

For the next line, Jack came up behind Kurt, grabbing him around the waist and lifting him so that Kurt was standing on his hands.  As Kurt sang the lines, with Santana, Brittany, and Quinn as backup, he walked forward to the beat, stepping on Jack’s hands, then to Clay.  The two boys walked forward as Kurt walked on their hands, rotating who was holding Kurt’s weight. The crowd went nuts.

“Oh, do you know what you got into?

Can you handle what I'm 'bout to do?

Cause it's about to get rough for you”

Kurt struck a pose, still being held up by Jack and Clay, “I’m here for your entertainment”

He did a flip off of Jack and Clay’s hands, landing just in time to sing,

“Oh, I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet

You thought an angel swept you off your feet

Well I'm about to turn up the heat

I'm here for your entertainment”

They continued the song in the same manner through to the end, with Kurt doing lifted, flips, strutting.  At one point, Kurt was on Jack and Clay’s shoulders, acting like he was a puppet master, and the Cheerio’s below him would rise and fall at his command.  

When the song ended and they struck a pose, the crowd absolutely lost it, with Kurt’s family cheering the loudest.  

“That’s my boy!”  Burt cheered.

The next song started just seconds later.  They performed to _If I Had You_ , by Adam Lambert, just as they did for their first competitions.  Next, the did a performance to _Never Close Your Eyes (R3hab Remix)_ by Adam Lambert.  Kurt, along with some of the other Cheerios, did more flips and moves in the air.  

When the songs all ended, the crowd was on their feet, cheering, clapping, whistling.  None louder than Burt, Sebastian, and Leah. There had been no other cheer squad who had done anything like it.  It was different, refreshing, and highly entertaining.

 

\--

 

Back at Dalton, when McKinley came on the screen, everyone froze and watched, wide-eyed.  There was a mix of reactions from everyone. Kurt’s brothers, Puck, and Sugar had seen a lot of the routine during practice, so they sat beaming with pride as they watched Kurt and girls on the screen in front of them.  

The Warblers, minus Jeff and Nick, were shocked.  They knew Kurt could sing, but this? “Holy shit!”  was heard from various Warblers throughout the performance.  Some just stared at the screen as if they couldn’t believe that was Kurt.  Even Jeff and Nick were surprised, although not shocked, that Kurt could pull off so much air time and learn how to do all of that in such a short amount of time.

When it was over, the room erupted into cheers.  There were people jumping up down, clapping, and yelling.  

 

\--

 

Back in Charlotte, Burt, Sebastian, and Leah made there way to the backstage area.  “How are we going to get back there?,” Burt asked.

Sebastian was texting on his phone, but looked up, lifting his phone a bit, “I’m texting Coach Sylvester to let her know we need back.”

Burt chuckled and shook his head, “Of course you are.  And Sue just handed over her personal cell number?”

Sebastian smirked and shrugged, “Yep.”

“Of course she did,”  Burt shook his head again.  

A few minutes later, Coach came to get them.  “Burt! I didn’t know you were coming. I figured you’d be off in DC, saving the world.”

“The world can wait while I come see my boy.  I have to admit, Coach, that was impressive,” Burt smirked.

Coach gave him a look, “Of course it was.  I’m the coach.”

“Of course it was...Kurt was singing,”  Sebastian said.

“Speaking of which…”  Leah gestured like she was saying ‘let’s hurry up’.

Coach nodded, “Right this way…”

They walked back to where the Cheerios were resting.  Kurt looked up and saw his family, and he just beamed.  He ran up, and hugged his dad first. “What did you think, Dad?”

“That was AMAZING, Kurt.  I didn’t know you could do all of that.  You knocked their socks off!”

Kurt smiled, “Thanks, Dad.”  He went to Sebastian and jumped in his arms, “Hi!”

Sebastian chuckled, “Hey, Baby.  You were amazing! Did you pay attention to the crowd reaction?  They went nuts, Babe.”

Kurt smiled, “Sort of.  I was kinda in a zone.”

Leah smiled, “Well they lost it, Kurt.  That was really, really amazing.”

He smiled and hugged Leah, “Thanks, Leah.  I’m so glad you guys came. It’s such a nice surprise.”

“I’m glad too.  But like I said, we wouldn’t miss this,”  She smiled.

 

When it was close to awards time, Burt, Sebastian, and Leah headed back to their seats.  Sebastian sat, bouncing his leg up and down. Leah chuckled, putting her hand on his leg, “Chill out, Sebastian.”

Sebastian didn’t say anything, but took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.  He couldn’t imagine what Kurt and the squad were feeling. He watched Kurt as he sat with the other Cheerio’s.  He seemed so calm, and Sebastian wondered how he did it. He knew he was nervous just by looking at him, but he still seemed so… composed.  

 

When McKinley was announced the Nation Cheerleading Champions, the entire world turned to slow motion.  Kurt and the squad jumped up and celebrated together. Jack and Clay lifted Kurt onto their shoulders as the crowd went insane.  

Burt, Sebastian, and Leah were screaming and cheering.  They made their way down to Kurt as fast as they could. Sebastian made it down first, of course, and Kurt jumped down from the boys and jumped into Sebastian’s arms.  Seb swung him around, “You did it, Baby! National Champions!”

“I can’t believe it, Bas!  I just can’t believe it!” Kurt exclaimed.  

Sebastian put him down, and Kurt went to hug Leah and his Dad.  Everyone was beaming with pride. It was about time that Kurt had a win.  A win that no one could take away from him.

 

\--

 

Back in Ohio, when McKinley was announced as winners, the commons room at Dalton went completely insane.  Everyone was on their feet.

The same was happening in the Smythe home, the Motta home, the Schuester home, the Beiste home, the Howard home, the Edwards home, the Karofsky home, and even the Anderson home.  Everyone was happy for a Hummel win this time.

 

 


	42. Dalton and Auditions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt heads to Dalton, and then auditions for NYADA.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU to everyone who commented and left kudos for me! Seriously, it means the world to me. My goal was to reach 200 kudos, and I DID IT!!! Well... YOU DID IT! Thank you sooo much!
> 
> This chapter is LONG. Kurt goes back to Dalton, and this is mostly what his first school day is like. But he also goes back to McKinley and has his NYADA audition. Now, I'm not hating on Rachel too much in this story. She's not my favorite character in the show, and honestly, I just don't have the energy to write her much. BUT, the one thing that has bothered me the most about the show, is the fact that Kurt auditioned and was praised, yet didn't get in. Rachel bombed, and DID get in? Unfair. So, I'm righting a wrong....  
> It's not word for word, or exactly how it was in the show, but it's enough to make me feel better. Hope you agree!

 

Sunday morning found Kurt sound asleep in his bed.  The Cheerios had driven home through the night Saturday, and arrived back in the parking lot of McKinley High around 4 in the morning.  Although they slept on the bus, it certainly wasn’t enough.

Around 9 a.m. Carol knocked on Kurt’s door.  She called down, “Sweetie, I know you’re tired, but if you don’t get up now, you won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

“M’kay,” Kurt mumbled into his pillow.  He rarely slept in, so when he did, it often threw off his sleep cycle.  

Seconds later, there was another knock and then two sets of bumbling foot steps making their way down to his room.  “Kurt!”

He opened one eye to see Finn and Sam holding up their phones, “Kurt!  You have to see this! Check your Twitter account, Dude. And ESPN!”

Kurt sat up in his bed, taking Finn’s phone from his hand.  His eyes widened, “Oh. My. Gosh.”

“Yeah, Dude.  There’s more, keep scrolling!”  Finn said.

“And look,”  Sam handed him his phone, “Check out this report that was on ESPN!  Dude, people know you now.”

Kurt just sat there looking at the Tweets and watching the ESPN report that featured...HIM!  He couldn’t believe it. The first thing he did was call Sebastian.

 

An hour later, when Kurt was totally out of the fog that he had been in, he decided to start packing things that he needed to take to Dalton. Headmaster Larson was going to be meeting them at the school in a few hours, so he needed to act quickly. The good thing was that he wasn’t too worried if he forgot anything.  It wasn’t as if he lived far away.

 

Headmaster Larson met Burt, Kurt, Sam, and Finn in his office.  “Well, as I told you Thursday, Mr. Hummel, the tuition is covered under the Safe Schools Scholarship.  We just need to take care of getting Kurt to his new dorm room. Kurt, you’ll have to sign for your key.  They’ll be a replacement fee if you lose it, so keep track of it. Here’s a handbook, in case you got rid of your old one.”  He handed Kurt the key and the handbook with a smile.

Kurt smiled back, “Thanks, Headmaster Larson.  That scholarship is amazing. I’m so grateful to whoever donated the funds for it.”  Burt agreed with him, and Kurt paused for a minute, “Is Cameron Hartford my roommate?”

Headmaster Larson raised his eyebrows, “How did you know that?”

Kurt answered, “Well, he’s a friend of ours, and he said he didn’t have a roommate.  Apparently he had one assigned to him that never showed up?”

“Ah, yes.  Mr. Clarington.  If he does re enroll for some reason, we’ll find him somewhere else to stay.  I’m glad to know that you and Cameron are already friends. That will make for an easier transition.”

“Let’s hope so,”  Kurt chuckled.

 

When Kurt, Sam, and Finn made their way down to the Navigator to get Kurt’s boxes, Sebastian was leaning up against the side of the car waiting for them.  Kurt smiled wide, “Hey there, handsome!” He leaned up and kissed Sebastian.

“Hey, Babe.  Need help carrying boxes?”

“Sure.  I don’t have much, surprisingly.  I figured since I am going home on the weekends, I didn’t need much.  Oh, and Cameron is my roommate!” Kurt smiled.

“Good!  At least we know it’s someone decent.  Let’s get you settled.” Sebastian opened the back of the Navigator, and everyone grabbed a box.

 

When they got to Kurt’s room, the door was open, and Cameron was sitting on his bed reading a book.  

“Hey, Kurt!”  Cameron stood and pulled the door open further for everyone to come in.  

“Hi, Cameron!”  Kurt sat a box on the bed that was obviously not in use.  “I’m sorry you had a room all to yourself, and now you don’t.  I promise I’m not as much of a diva as it seems.” Kurt smiled at him.

They all chuckled, and Finn said, “He’s really not.  I was shocked.” Kurt playfully backhanded him on the arm.  

“Can I help you bring up the rest of your boxes?”  Cameron asked.

“Actually, this is it,”  Sam said. Cameron raised his brows in surprise.  

“Our house is less than 30 minutes from here.  I can run home to get things if I really need to, or just bring them back after the weekend.”  Kurt paused and looked at his bed where the four boxes sat, “Like my sewing machine. Oops.”

Cameron looked surprised, “You sew?”

“Mhmm.  I make a lot of my own clothes.  I’ve applied to a few design colleges in New York.”

“Wow.  After what we saw yesterday, I guess I figured you’d be studying performing arts.  Congratulations, by the way. You were amazing.”

“Thanks,”  Kurt smiled.

“Kurt can do anything,”  Finn said, playfully pushing Kurt in the arm as he blushed.  Sebastian was smiling, watching the exchange. Kurt shoved him back, and Finn said, “What?  Dude, you can sing, dance, cheer, make clothes, rebuild cars, cook, bake, kick a football like it’s nobody’s business, give makeovers, kick my ass at half of our video games...”

“Okay, that’s enough, Finn,”  Kurt interrupted, blushing.

“I bet Sebastian could add to that list…”  Sam smiled, and Sebastian winked. Kurt was a couple shades darker red.

“Okay, time for you two to go.  I’ll walk you to the car,” Kurt grabbed Finn and Sam by the sleeves and pulled them out the door.  Finn and Sam laughed and yelled their goodbyes to Sebastian and Cameron on the way down the hall.

Once they were out of the room, Sebastian turned to Cameron, “I’m glad he’s moving in with someone we already consider a friend.  Do me a favor, and watch out for him, yeah?”

“Absolutely, man,”  Cameron smiled and plopped back down on his bed.  He turned to Seb, “So can he really rebuild a car?”

Sebastian chuckled, “Yep.”

 

…………………..

 

“Are you ready, Angel?” Sugar asked as she and Kurt loaded baked goods into the display case.  

“Yeah, I am.  Cameron was great when we got here yesterday.  The guys I saw around last night were very friendly.  I feel at home here already. As much as I can, anyway.”

“Good,”  Sugar stopped and kissed Kurt on the cheek.  “I’m happy for you, Angel.”

“Thanks, Sugar.”

They both turned to leave, and saw Sebastian coming around the corner.  He had a tray of three coffees, offering Kurt and Sugar their normal orders.

“Mmm, thanks, Seb.”  Sugar smiled.

Kurt leaned up and kissed his cheek, “Morning, Bas.  Thanks for the coffee.”

“You’re both welcome.”

They walked Sugar out to her car, and after a few hugs, Kurt was ready to start his first day at Dalton.

 

As a tradition, when the Cheerio’s won a National Championship (and let’s face it, there are several National Champ trophies in the displays at McKinley), they typically hold a celebration assembly in the gymnasium the following school day, and put on a repeat performance.  But this year was different. This year, their star was missing. Coach Sylvester had the assembly moved to the auditorium.

On the edge of the stage sat the entire cheer squad, minus Kurt.  Off the the left, next to the American flag, sat the championship trophy.  There was a large screen hanging down from the ceiling behind the Cheerios, and Coach Sylvester came out and stood next to it.  

“Most of you know that when we win a National Championship, we have a special performance for the student body.  We can’t do that this year, so I thought we would show you a professional video of the performance instead.” She clicked a button, and the video of the entire performance played.  The students were going nuts, and at the end, stood and cheered.

“Sit down!,”  Coach demanded.  

She clicked the button again, showing the announcement of them winning the title.  Everyone went nuts again, “SIT. DOWN!,” she demanded again.

She clicked the button again, this time, a video from ESPN Sports came on, praising their squad and drawing special attention to their lead singer.  “It was incredible! This guy did the same thing for this squad two years ago. But this...This is a whole new level of talent,” the newscaster commented.  Again, the students cheered, and Coach told them to stop.

She clicked the button again, showing a Tweet from Adam Lambert.  It read, “Damn. This guy sings these songs better than I do! And all while doing those moves?  Amazing!”

Another click, and a Tweet from Ben Sanders, star of _RENT_ appeared, “Kurt Hummel does it again, ladies and gentlemen.  I told you before, and I’ll tell you again… Keep an eye out for this one.  He’ll be a star.”

Another click, a Tweet from University of Kentucky’s head cheer leading coach, Jomo Thompson, “Please tell me this guy will cheer in college.  I want him at UK now! Lima is lucky to have him!”

“Lima is lucky to have him.  Did you read that?” Coach was pacing back and forth, looking jocks in the eyes as she did.  “Kurt Hummel, ladies and gentlemen. Kurt, the guy who gave us our only winning football game two years ago.  Kurt, the guy who won us TWO National Championships in Cheer. It would have been three, but we’ll get to that in a minute.  Kurt, who has taken Glee Club to new levels. Kurt, who saves his best friend from the same asshole who had already tortured _him_.  Kurt… The current Dalton Academy student.  Again.”

There was a silence that slowly lead way to whispers and looks of confusion.  Coach continued, “Kurt Hummel, ladies and gentlemen… the same guy you just saw praised by all of these National treasures, has been put through hell here at McKinley...By you.  You have called him names. You have told him he was worthless. You have shoved him into lockers and walls. You have thrown slushies in his face. You have punched him. You have thrown him in dumpsters.  You have threatened to kill him. He already had to leave McKinley once. We were lucky to get him back. But now, Kurt Hummel, once again, no longer feels safe at this school because of you idiots. When are you going to realize that being different doesn’t make you LESS.  You saw the videos and read the Tweets. Being different, makes you MORE. One day, Kurt will be a star, and all of you will be a distant memory for him.  Until then, if one more person lays a hand on him, you’ll regret it. Dismissed.” She dropped the mic and walked off stage. The auditorium was silent for a few minutes.  Students slowly and silently got up to leave. It was as if they were leaving a funeral.

Later that day, when Glee Club was rehearsing, Coach came walking into the choir room, followed by rest of the Cheerios.  The squad took the available chairs and then the floor. Mr. Schuester joined Coach Sylvester in front of the room.

Mr. Schuester began, “We want you to know that we do not include you in the group of students that Coach addressed this morning.  We know that you love Kurt, and are as sad as we are that he had to leave us just to feel safe. He knows that, and we know that.”

Coach added, “What we need from you now, is for you to be our eyes and ears.  Just because he doesn’t go to school here anymore, doesn’t mean you can dismiss anything you might hear that seems like a threat.  We aren’t taking any threat lightly. We want you to come to either one of us if you hear anything at all.”

 

\--

 

Later that day, Kurt and Sebastian had gotten their lunch and went to join the rest of the Warblers.  As soon as he sat, everyone was welcoming Kurt and asking him how his day was going and if he liked his classes so far.  

Kurt smiled shyly, “Classes are good so far.  Everyone has been very nice.  I feel very welcomed.”

Sebastian grinned and whispered in Kurt’s ear, “I have to say, Babe...There’s something about seeing you in a Dalton uniform that does something to me.”

Kurt smiled and whispered back, “I have a feeling it’s more you imagining this uniform coming off...Sir.”  He winked at his boyfriend who let out a low moan.

“Mhmm…” was all Sebastian could say.  

Jeff asked, “Kurtsie what classes do you have?”

“Um,”  Kurt pulled out a paper copy of his schedule, “This morning I had Trig, AP Biology, and French 4, then after lunch, I have AP History, AP Language Arts, Art History, and Study Hall.”

Sebastian looked at his schedule, “I’m in your French class, which we knew, but I’m also in your Art History and Study Hall.” Kurt smiled, happy to be able to spend more time with his boyfriend.

“I’m in your Language Arts class, Kurtsie!”  Jeff smiled, handing back the schedule that he had stolen from the boys.

“Good!  So far, I’ve known a few people in each of my classes.  That makes transitioning easier.”

After lunch, Sebastian kissed Kurt on the forehead, “I’ll see you in a little bit, Babe.”

Kurt smiled, “M’kay.”

He walked into his AP History class and reintroduced himself to Mr. Schlotman.  “Hi, Mr. Schlotman, I’m not sure if you remember me, but-”

“Of course I do, Kurt!  Welcome back. I’m sure you’ll be able to catch up in no time, but if you need help, just let me know.”  Mr. Schlotman was an older man, with a passion for history and teaching, both. He and Kurt had hit it off the year before, with their mutual love of history.  

Kurt smiled, “Thanks, Mr. Schlotman.  It’s nice to be back.” Kurt turned around to find a seat and noticed Shawn was in his class.  Shawn was looking at him grinning, and winked at Kurt when he saw him look his way. Kurt chose the seat furthest away from Shawn.  

Shawn was gathering his books, standing to move closer to Kurt, when Cameron walked in.  Cameron looked at Shawn, who was looked like a cheetah stalking his prey. He walked in front him, “Have a seat, Shawn,” he said sternly.  Shawn glared at Cameron as he sat back down. Cameron chose the seat next to Kurt, and Kurt mouthed, ‘thank you’ before turning back around.  

At the end of class, Cameron asked, “What’s your next class, Kurt?”

“AP Language Arts, with Ms. Johnson.  Jeff is in that class with me.” Kurt said, looking at his schedule.

“I’m headed that way.  I’ll walk you there.” Cameron smiled as they stood to leave.  

When they walked out, Shawn stood and watched them walk down the hallway.  “He’s watching, isn’t he?” Kurt said, sounding a bit uneasy.

Cameron turned to look, and shot a glare at Shawn as they put distance between them, “Yeah.  Don’t let it get to you. He can’t harass you here. If he does, you let someone...anyone… know.  I think he’s just a pushy ass, but just in case.”

 

Kurt kind of enjoyed his next two classes.  It was fun being in a class with Jeff again, and then of course having Sebastian in his Art History class didn’t hurt.  Sebastian and Kurt made their way to Study Hall and found a seat. Sebastian had just asked Kurt what his homework workload looked like when he noticed him tense.  

“Babe?”  Sebastian sounded concerned and turned to look at what Kurt was looking at.  It was Shawn, taking a seat at a nearby table. When Shawn saw Sebastian turn and look at him, he smirked and winked.

Seb took a deep breath and closed his eyes, while Kurt quickly put his hand on Sebastian’s knee, trying to calm him.  He knew Seb was seeing red.

Sebastian lowered his voice, “Kurt, you need to tell me if he does, or says, anything inappropriate.  Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt whispered.  

“Does he have any other classes with you?”  

“Yes, Sir.  AP History. Cameron is in that class with me.”  Kurt was playing with the binding of one of his books as he spoke.  “He started to switch seats to get closer to me when I came in. Cameron made him stay where he was, and then walked me to my next class when History was over.”

“Thank you for telling me, Kurt.  I’m proud of you for allowing Cameron to help.  I know you didn’t want that once you started here.  I’m sorry.”

Kurt felt a warmth spread through his chest again at Sebastian’s words of praise and thanks.  He could feel his love and concern as if he could reach out and touch it. “I’ll be okay, Sir,”  he whispered. “It’s better than the alternative.”

“That’s not good enough, Babe.  You deserve better.”

Not knowing what to say in return, he said nothing.  He simply gave Sebastian’s knee another soft squeeze.  

 

After school, Kurt and Sebastian made there way to the Warbler’s rehearsal room.  For some reason, Kurt was a little nervous. When they entered, Jeff ran up and gave Kurt a huge hug, “Come sit with me, Kurtsie!”  Kurt laughed and Sebastian was all smiles.

The rehearsal was started with a meeting, as always, which was called to order by Thad.  Thad smiled after banging his gavel, “We would like welcome back Warbler Kurt!”

The room erupted into cheers, and Kurt could feel his cheeks heating up, “Thank you,” he said sort of shyly.  

“So, Kurt,”  Thad began, “On Friday, it was unanimously decided that you be welcomed back to the Warblers, but also that, if you were up for it, you could join us in participating at Regionals.  We don’t want to put too much pressure on you during your first week back. Is that something you would want, or would you rather sit this one out?”

“I would like to participate.  When we go to Nationals, I want to feel like I earned my right to be there,” Kurt winked with his smirk.  Sebastian chuckled at how adorable his boyfriend is. Kurt continued, “Honestly, I’m used to it. New Directions just decided last week what songs they would be doing, and that’s pretty typical.  And I just learned the non-singing part of the Cheerio’s routine a little over two weeks ago.”

“Congratulations on the Nationals win, by the way,”  Thad smiled. “We were all extremely impressed. So, how would you feel about adding another song, so you could have a lead?”

Kurt’s eyes widened, “Umm…”  He looked around the room, and everyone was smiling at him, especially Sebastian, “I...I think that would be fine, if that’s what everyone wants.”

Thad smiled and banged his gavel, “All in favor of Kurt having a lead.”  Everyone in the room raised their hand. Thad smiled, “It’s settled then!  Let’s discuss our options.”

 

Later that evening, while everyone was at dinner, Sebastian’s phone buzzed.  He checked it quickly, and then excused himself for a moment. When he returned, he had Sugar and Puck with him.  Kurt looked up, and surprise was written all over his face, “What are you guys doing here?!” he said as he made is way out of his seat and over to them for hugs.

Sugar was holding three red heart balloons and a red envelope.  She handed the envelope and balloons to Kurt, “Read it out loud, Angel.  It’s an invitation!”

“Okay,”  he opened the envelope, “The Warblers are cordially invited to the Love Shack on Valentine’s Day.  AKA, Breadstix.”

Sugar bounced up and down a bit, “Daddy rented out the whole place! Everyone needs to come.  Singles, couples, friends.” She looked at Kurt and smiled.

“What do ya say, Princess?”  Puck asked.

Kurt looked at Sebastian, who subtly nodded, so Kurt looked back and said, “Bas and I are in!”

“Us too!”  Nick smiled.  

Soon, most Warblers agreed to go, and Puck had a very happy Sugar on his arm.  

Kurt turned to Sebastian, “You knew, didn’t you.”

Sebastian smirked, “What makes you think that?”

“Mmm...I might know you better than you think.”

“Babe, you know me better than anyone.  I like it that way.” Seb reached for Kurt’s waist and pulled him closer.

Kurt was an inch from Sebastian’s face, “Is that so?”

“Mhmm,” Sebastian leaned in and kissed his boyfriend.  After a couple of cat-calls from the Warblers, they said their goodbyes to Puck and Sugar, and returned to their dinner.  

 

An hour before curfew, Sebastian, Cameron, and Nick knocked on Shawn’s door.  When he answered, he smirked and wiggled his eyebrows, “Are you here for an orgy?  Go get Kurt and I’m in.”

The three boys ignored the comment, and pushed their way inside Shawn’s dorm room.  His roommate, Elijah, asked, “What the hell is going on?”

Sebastian looked at him, “You can stay or go.  It’s up to you.” Elijah just sat there, so Sebastian continued. He looked a Shawn, “You need to leave Kurt alone.”

“Why?  Afraid I’ll steal your boyfriend?”  Shawn took a step closer to Sebastian.

Sebastian shook his head, “Not even a possibility.”

Shawn smirked back, “Why would you think you could keep someone like him? He is so fucking hot.  And I saw that cheer competition everyone was talking about. You know what I got out of it? The knowledge that he’s really _flexible_.”

“That was a shitty thing to say,”  Elijah frowned at Shawn. “They’ve been together all year.  Why are you being such a prick?”

Shawn shrugged, smirking at Sebastian.

Sebastian glared at him, “Is it because I turned you down?  Or are you just that big of an asshole?”

“That was your loss, Sebastian.  As for Kurt, once I saw him...Mmm.  He’s yummy.”

“He’s also mine.  We love each other.  This isn’t a fling. He isn’t one of your flavor-of-the-month boys.  He’s also been through hell, and is here because it’s the safest place for him right now.  Don’t fuck with that.”

“Safest place?  Something else happened, didn’t it?”  Elijah asked as he stood, frowning, and crossing his arms.

Sebastian didn’t take his eyes off of Shawn, “Yes.  And I will do whatever it takes to make sure that he didn’t leave one bad situation, just to walk into another.  Kurt isn’t comfortable around you, Shawn. Leave him alone.” Sebastian turned to leave and then paused in the doorway, “I’m only going to say this the nice way once.  Got it?”

Shawn huffed out a laugh, “You wouldn’t do anything to get in trouble.  You’d get expelled and then Kurt would be here without you.”

Sebastian smirked, “Who said it would be me doing anything?  As much as I would love to kick your ass, I won’t do anything to risk being away from Kurt.  But have you seen Puck, Mike, and Kurt’s brothers, Finn, and Sam? Do you think they’re happy he had to leave them and come here?  Do you think they’d be happy if I called them right now and told them that he was being harassed? That someone else was making him uncomfortable?  Let’s test my theory…”

Sebastian pulled out his phone, but Elijah quickly jumped in, “No, no.  I know Shawn’s an idiot, but I’ll talk to him. You guys go on. He’ll leave Kurt alone.”

Sebastian nodded without taking his eyes off of Shawn.  He turned to leave, with Cameron and Nick following right behind him.

As soon as the door closed, Elijah turned to Shawn, “You are a fucking idiot.  Do you have any idea what Kurt has been through? And all I know is what I’ve heard through the rumor mill.  I’m sure that isn’t even the full extent of everything.”

“So he was bullied.  So what?”

“Just bullied?  He was severely bullied when he came here the first time.  He had bruises all over. Rumor has it that some jock threatened to _kill_ him.  And do you know what Anderson did?  Man, he beat the shit out of him while he tried to _rape_ him!  And you think you’re going to get anywhere with Kurt by ignoring when you’re told ‘no’?”

“Technically, he hasn’t told me ‘no’.”  Shawn interrupted.

“Dude, he shouldn’t have to.  He’s uncomfortable around you, and he’s with Sebastian.  Sebastian was in a cast at the beginning of the year because he broke his hand knocking out Anderson.  He’s protective of him for a reason. You can tell they’re in love just by looking at them. Why are you trying to fuck with that?”

Shawn sat on his bed but said nothing, so Elijah continued, “That Mack guy that died?  He was messing with Kurt before he tried to rape Kurt’s best friend. He hurt Kurt just to hurt Sebastian.  And I know you know what he did to Sugar and Kurt. You knew Sebastian was gone for a few days because of it.  And whatever happened recently to make Kurt come here, had to have been big. So quit fucking with him, Shawn. The last thing he needs is to be messed with.  And so help me, if any of those McKinley guys show up, I’ll point them in the right direction!”

Shawn got up and stormed out of the room.

 

When the boys left Shawn’s room, Sebastian turned to Cameron, “Do you mind if I have a few minutes alone with Kurt in your room?”

Cameron shook his head, “No, man. I’ll grab my clothes, and we can trade rooms for the night.”

“Thanks, Cameron.”

 

Cameron walked into his room, where Kurt was reading his History textbook on the bed, “Hey, Sebastian and I are switching rooms tonight.  He’ll be here in a minute.” He paused for a second, “I’m assuming that’s okay, right?”

“Of course.  Is everything okay?”  Kurt was wondering what was going on.  

“Yeah.  It’s fine.  I think this stuff with Shawn is really bothering him though.”  Cameron grabbed the last of what he needed.

Kurt nodded, “Yeah, I’m sure it is.  He’s very... protective.”

“As he should be,”  Cameron smirked, “Goodnight, Kurt.”  He opened the door, and was met by Sebastian, who was just getting ready to knock.

“Goodnight, Cameron.”  Kurt said as he stood to greet his boyfriend.  Kurt looked at him thoughtfully, trying to read the expression on Sebastian’s face.  Once the door was closed, Kurt asked, “Bas? Are you okay?”

“I just needed to see you.  And then Cameron offered to switch for tonight.  I hope that’s okay.” Sebastian walked up to where Kurt was standing.

Kurt gave a small smile and caressed Seb’s face, “Of course that’s okay.  But something is bothering you. What can I do? Do you want to talk? Do you want me to kneel for you?  I want to help, Bas.” The more Kurt spoke, the more Sebastian looked almost upset .  He wanted so bad to take it away.

Sebastian grabbed Kurt and pulled him into a tight embrace, “I just need to hold you, Baby.  I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Bas.  More than anything. You know that, right?”

Sebastian nodded, “Yeah.”  He kissed the top of Kurt’s head, “I know.”  He kissed Kurt’s temple, then took his ear lobe between his teeth.  He kissed down his neck, and when he heard Kurt let out a soft moan, he asked, “Can I make love to you?”  He continued to kiss his neck.

Kurt was grasping onto Sebastian’s shoulders, pulling him closer, “Please, Bas.  Please make love to me.”

Sebastian pulled his shirt up over his head, and Kurt ran his hands over his pecs, “You are so sexy, Bas.  I just can’t get enough of you.” Kurt began kissing down Sebastian’s neck, then collar bone, and pecs.

“Mmm, Babe.  Too many clothes…”  Sebastian pulled Kurt’s shirt off.  He ran his hands over the muscles of Kurt’s back.  Kurt loved the feel of Sebastian’s large hands on his skin.  

Both pairs of pants came off, and Sebastian lifted Kurt, laying him gently in the middle of the bed.  

“Please, Bas.  I need you.”

Sebastian crawled in between Kurt’s legs, never letting their lips part.  He slowly and gently stretched Kurt open. When he couldn’t handle the beautiful sounds of his love falling apart beneath him,  he slowly slid inside of him. “God, Baby, you feel so good. I love you so much, Kurt.”

“I love you too, Bas.  So much.” Kurt panted.  “Oh, god, Bas!”

Sebastian continued to thrust into Kurt with so much passion that the rest of the world faded away.  He loved him so much, he could barely contain it.

Sebastian spent every minute of their love making worshiping Kurt’s body.  Kurt was writhing beneath him. The sounds coming from him were sending Sebastian to the brink.  “I’m so close, Babe. I need you to cum for me.”

That was all Kurt needed to hear before coming hard, moaning Sebastian’s name.  Sebastian soon followed, but as he came, the tears did too. “I love you so much, Baby.  So much.”

Kurt pulled him down further, wrapping his arms around him.  He ran his fingers through Sebastian’s hair, “I love you too, Bas.  With all of my heart.” Sebastian nodded, kissed Kurt again. Once he caught his breath, he got up to get a towel to clean them up.  

When he returned, Kurt was kneeling on the floor, head bowed, hands behind his back.  When Kurt heard him enter the room, he asked, “What can I do for you, Sir?”

Sebastian took a deep breath, soaking in the beauty that was before him.  The beauty that he got to call his own. “Kurt…” He ran his fingers through Kurt’s hair.  “You are so beautiful. So perfect for me.”

“As you are for me, Sir.”  After several seconds of silence, Kurt asked again, “What can I do for you, Sir?  How can I help?”  He knew something was still bothering his Dom.

“Stand.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt stood.

“Kneel on the edge of the bed.  Facing me.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt did as he was told.

Sebastian paused, gathering his thoughts as he stood with his knees hitting the edge of the bed,  He put his hands on Kurt’s waist as he spoke. “I need to know that you’re happy. Happy with me. I love you so much.  I don’t want to lose you if you aren’t happy.”

Kurt frowned, “I am very happy, Sir.  Happy with you, and everything you are and do.  I love you so much that it hurts. I want to be with you forever.”  He paused, “Can I ask you a question, Sir?”

“Of course, Baby.”  Sebastian said softly.  He cleaned Kurt off with the towel as they spoke.

“What made you question whether or not I’m happy?”   

Sebastian cleared his throat, and after a second answered, “Shawn.”  Kurt stiffened, so Sebastian rubbed his arms as he spoke, “Cameron and Nick and I went to talk to him tonight.  I told him he needed to leave you alone. He asked me why I thought I could keep someone like you. I guess it hit a nerve, because I really don’t know how I _can_ keep someone like you.”

Kurt wanted to touch Sebastian, but he had not been released from his position.  “May I touch you, Sir?”

“Of course.”

Kurt quickly wrapped his arms around Sebastian and pulled him closer.  “I love you more than anything, Sir. I chose you, and would choose you over and over again for all of time.  Without a doubt, you are the love of my life. You are who keeps me going. You are who shows me love no matter what.  I don’t care who says what to you, or to me… You are mine, Sir. And I am yours.”

Sebastian held on tight, “I’m sorry, Baby.  I’m so sorry.  Please know I never doubted you or your love.  I doubted my ability to keep it. I’m not used to someone else trying to swoop in and steel you.  I’ve never had to deal with this. You’re my first boyfriend. And if I have my way, my last. I’m sorry if I’m not handling it well.”

“You are handling it just fine.  This was not a big deal, because you talked to me about it.  As long as we keep communicating, we’ll be just fine. You are the perfect boyfriend, and the perfect Dom, Sir.  I couldn’t begin to imagine anyone more suited for me. I love you beyond words, Sir.”

“I love you, too.  So much, Baby. So much.”

 

……………

 

The next morning, Kurt woke up to the smell of coffee.  He opened his eyes and found Sebastian grinning at him with two cups of coffee in hand.  “Good Morning, Beautiful.”

Kurt grinned back. “Good morning, Gorgeous,”  he said as Sebastian handed him his coffee. “Thank you, Bas.”

“You’re welcome. Are you ready for audition day?”  Sebastian sipped his coffee, watching Kurt closely to see if he was nervous.  He had been practicing every day, but had a weird sense of calm about him.

Kurt nodded, “I think I am, actually.  Finn is going to bring my clothes to McKinley and put them in Mr. Schuester’s office for safe keeping.  Sugar is going to double check the garment bag to make sure everything is in it, so if it’s not, I can stop by home to get what I need quick.  Hopefully that doesn’t happen.” Kurt shrugged.

Sebastian furrowed his brows a bit, “You seem so calm about this.  You seemed so calm at the cheer competition too, even when they were announcing the winners.  How is that?”

Kurt shrugged a bit and took another sip of coffee before he answered, “Mmm.  I don’t know. Don’t get me wrong, I’m nervous about today, just like I was nervous about Nationals.  But, I think maybe the whole hospital thing changed me a bit. I know I would have been a nervous wreck a few months ago, but now...I think, as corny as it sounds, I’m just happy to be alive.  I have a new perspective on things now, I guess. I know I want to go to New York. But I also know that I’m going whether I get into NYADA or not, and I’m okay with that. Besides, I’m not even sure if performing is what I want to do.  I still love design just as much. I guess I’m more in the zone of ‘if I give 100%, then whatever happens, happens. It’s meant to be, or it’s not.’ Same thing with the cheer competition. I put everything I had into that performance. If it wasn’t good enough to win, then so be it.  I was happy to have the experience.”

“You’re amazing,”  Sebastian said as he leaned over and gave Kurt a quick kiss.

 

The school day went rather quickly.  Kurt already had his schedule down pat, and knowing people in all of his classes was especially helpful.  In history class, Cameron sat next to Kurt again, and Shawn seemed to keep his distance. Things were good.  

Both Kurt and Sebastian signed out of school early so they could head off to the audition at McKinley.  Headmaster Larson didn’t have a problem with it since they both had study hall. Both he and Mrs. Scott gave Kurt a hug and wished him good luck.  Headmaster Larson knew that Sebastian was going to watch Kurt audition, but also keep an eye on everyone around him, since the threat had taken place less than a week before.  

They arrived at McKinley just as classes were being dismissed.  “Let’s wait in the car for a few minutes. Let the crowd die down.  I still have plenty of time to get dressed.” Kurt said.

Five minutes later, after lots of people slowed to gawk at Sebastian’s car, most of the crowd had left the parking lot.  The boys headed inside. Two different people congratulated Kurt on the Nationals win as they headed to the choir room. He thanked them, but kept moving.  He no longer felt comfortable here.

“Don’t let these halls mess with your head, Babe.”  Sebastian commented. He could tell Kurt was a bit off since they pulled into the parking lot.  

“The choir room and auditorium are like a second home to me.  I’ll feel better once we’re there.”

When they reached the choir room, Kurt felt like he could breathe again.  Sugar was waiting for him, and greeted both of them with big hugs. “Are you ready, Angel?  You’re gonna kill it!”

“I’m ready, Sugar.  Guard the door. I’m going to change in Mr. Schue’s office.  Oh, are Tina, Mercedes, and Brittany ready?”

“Yeah, they went to the restroom to change.  They said they’d meet you backstage. Try to stay clear of Rachel.  She’s a hot mess with anxiety.”

“Okay.  Thanks, Sugar.”

“You’re welcome. Oh!  Puck is working but said to tell you to break a leg.”  She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

 

\--

 

Kurt squeezed Sebastian’s hand before letting go and walking out onto the stage.  Carmen Tibideaux, the Dean of Vocal Performance and Song Interpretation at NYADA, introduced herself as he approached the middle  of the stage.

“Good Afternoon, Madame Tibideaux.  I’m Kur-”

“Kurt Hummel.”  Madame Tibideaux interrupted, “I am aware.  I’m also aware that people have been sending me videos of you for awhile now.  Your rendition of Defying Gravity was very impressive. Let’s see what you’ve got for me.  You get two songs. I can stop you any time after 8 measures.”

Kurt was surprised that she had seen him sing, but composed himself the best he could.  “Yes, Madame Tibideaux.”

Backstage, Sebastian stood watching his boyfriend as Sugar grabbed his arm.  She put her hand through his arm and placed her hand in the crook of his elbow.  Sebastian placed his hand on top of hers. “Here we go,” he whispered.

Kurt was wearing a nice suit as he stepped up and said, _“_ I will be singing _Bring Him Home_ from Broadway’s Les Miserables.”

“Brave choice, Mr. Hummel.  Let’s hear it.”

He belted out every note with such passion and feeling, that Sebastian and Sugar both had tears in their eyes.  

When the song ended, Madame Tibideaux spoke, “Impressive, Mr. Hummel.  What is your next song choice?”

“ _Not The Boy Next Door_ from The Boy From Oz.”  Kurt motioned for Tina, Mercedes, and Brittany to come out on stage.  

“Another brave choice, Mr. Hummel.  Whenever you’re ready.”

Kurt began singing and after a few lines of the song, he ripped off the suit he was wearing to reveal the black shirt and gold lemme pants underneath.  Sebastian had no idea he was going to be doing that, and squeezed Sugar’s hand when he saw Kurt in the gold pants. Sugar had to bite her lip to keep from giggling.  

When the song ended, Madame Tibideaux had nothing but words of praise for Kurt.  Kurt was wide-eyed and trying to hear every word she said, but it was a bit like having an out of body experience.  Sebastian stood backstage beaming with pride.

Madame Tibideaux continued her praise, including telling him about her time working with Hugh Jackman, and how he would be impressed as well.  When she dismissed Kurt, he ran off stage, jumping into Sebastian’s arms. He wrapped his legs around Seb’s waist and his arms around his neck.

Sebastian spun him around, “Baby, that was amazing!  You did such a great job!”

“Oh my god, Bas.  I can’t believe it!  She said so many nice things!”

“Believe it, Angel. You deserved every word she said.  You were amazing!” Sugar said as hugged both Kurt and Sebastian at the same time.  Sebastian put Kurt down, and whispered in his ear, “You are so keeping those pants.”  Kurt winked at him, but said nothing in return.

Tina, Mercedes, and Brittany all gave him hugs and congratulations, and he thanked them over and over.  

 

On the other side of the stage, Finn and Mr. Schuester were waiting with Rachel for her time to go on stage.  When Madame Tibideaux finished writing in her laptop, she called for Rachel.

“Miss Rachel Berry.  What will you be singing for me today?”

“Hello,”  Rachel began.  Her nerves were about shot.  “I will be singing _Don’t Rain On My Parade_ from Broadway’s Funny Girl.”

“Okay.  You may begin when you’re ready.”  Madame Tibideaux wrote something in her laptop and then looked up to the stage where Rachel began to sing.  

A few lines into the song, Rachel stuttered.  She had forgotten her lines, and asked to start over.  Madame Tibideaux said nothing, so Rachel turned and asked the band to start over.  He next attempt at the song was even shorter. Once again, she said, “Please. I’m so sorry.  Just let me start over…”

“I’m sorry, Miss Berry,”  Madame Tibideaux interrupted, “but you get 8 measures. I let you start over once, giving you 16 measures.  That will be all. You are dismissed.”

Rachel ran off stage in tears, straight into Finn’s arms.  He held her tight, “We’ll figure this out, Rachel. We’ll figure this out.”

Will Schuester was too shocked to say anything.  He had never seen Rachel forget a line or freeze under pressure.  

 

On the other side of the stage, Kurt, Sebastian, and the girls were having the same reaction.  

“Oh my god,” Kurt whispered.  

“Come on, Babe.  Let’s give her some space.  She’ll probably need some time.”  Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hand nudged him toward the door.  “We need to get back for rehearsals. They changed the time for us, so we shouldn’t be late.”

“Okay, you’re right.  I just feel so bad.”

“Don’t feel bad, Angel.  You did fantastic. Soak up that praise she gave you.  Rachel will figure something out.” Sugar wrapped her arm around his waist and squeezed as they walked to the parking lot.  

Kurt sighed, “I love you both.  I don’t know what I’d do without you two.”

“We love you, too.”  Sugar and Sebastian said at the same time.  The three laughed at themselves as they made their way back to the cars.  

Thinking back on the audition, Kurt couldn’t help thinking that maybe his dreams _could_ actually become reality.

 

 


	43. Valentine's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of Valentine's Day fun! With a little angst thrown it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italic writing is when they are speaking French.  
> I intended to add Regionals to this chapter, but I didn't. I may graze over it in the next chapter?  
> Oh! If you haven't seen Grant Gustin's (Sebastian) latest instagram pic, you need to check it out. Really...Do yourselves a favor and check it out! Yummy.
> 
> Comments and Kudos are ALWAYS welcomed! Thank you everyone who has been encouraging me to keep writing. Fighting the summer blues (I know that's weird), and your kind words help so much!

Friday, Valentine’s Day, came rather quickly.  When Kurt woke up, there was a card on the floor where it had been slid under the door.  He walked over and picked it up, and immediately recognized Sebastian’s handwriting on the envelope. When he opened it, the card inside had a picture of a Boston Terrier that looked just like Satchmo, and it was holding a paper heart in it’s mouth.  

Kurt smiled, and opened the card.  Inside it read, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Baby.  I love you. Open your door.”

Kurt frowned in confusion for a second.  Open the door? “Okay?” he whispered.

Kurt opened the door of his dorm room, and saw a vase of lilies sitting on the ground.  The note in the flowers simply read, “I love you.”

Kurt smiled, picking up the flowers and setting them on his desk.  He sat on his bed for a couple of minutes, just looking at the flowers and thinking about how wonderful his boyfriend is.  

“You gonna stare at those all day, or are you going to get dressed and go meet Sugar?”  Cameron asked with a small smile gracing his lips.

Kurt startled when Cameron spoke, and he blushed slightly, “Yeah, I’m getting ready.”

“Mhmm,”  Cameron smiled and rolled over.  

Kurt threw a pillow at him before going into the bathroom to start getting ready.  

 

Kurt met Sugar in the parking lot, like he had on Monday and Wednesday.  They hugged and wished each other a “Happy Valentine’s Day” before unloading her trunk that was full of delicious smelling baked goods.

“Did you bring it?  Did you bring it?” Kurt asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet.  

“Yes, Angel, I brought it.  Now let's get it in the fridge before Sebastian comes out.”

“He slid a card under my door while I was sleeping.  I opened it, and it said to open the door. There was a bouquet of lilies waiting for me in the hallway.”  Kurt sighed, with nearly visible heats in his eyes.

“Awwwe, that’s so sweet.  He’s so good to you, Angel.”  Sugar smiled.

“He is.”  Kurt smiled in return, and then snapped himself out of the love-fog he was in so that he could finish his task.    

“I brought heart cookies today, and I even made a few plates of cookies and wrapped them up nicely.  Hopefully those sell too.”

“I’m sure they will, Sugar.  If not at breakfast, I’m sure they will at lunch.”

They started in the cafeteria, and Kurt quickly put what Sugar had brought for him in the refrigerator.  He thanked the ladies working for helping him with the surprise, to which they smiled and said, “Anything for love.”  He chuckled and then headed back to help Sugar.

 

When Sugar and Kurt were almost finished, Sebastian, once again, came around the corner holding three coffees.  He set them down on top of one of the display cases.

Kurt smiled when he saw him and stopped what he was doing to give Seb a big hug and kiss.  “Happy Valentine’s Day, Bas.”

Sebastian didn’t let go of Kurt, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Baby.”  He leaned down giving Kurt another kiss, “I love you.”

“I love you, too.  Thank you for the card and flowers.  That was a lovely surprise this morning.”  

Seb let go, but only slightly, “You’re welcome, Babe.”  He turned to Sugar, giving her a hug, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Sugar.”

She squeezed him tight, “You too, Seb.  Thanks for the coffee.” She pulled away, “You guys are still coming tonight, right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,”  Sebastian smiled.

Sugar lost a smile and frowned slightly, “So, Angel.  Did you, um, hear about Rick?”

Kurt stiffened and Sebastian wrapped his arm around his waist.  “No….”

“Well, um… They let him back in school.”  Sugar looked apologetic.

Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s back, and Kurt sighed, “I figured that would happen.  Same as with David. That’s one of the reasons I decided that coming here would be best.”  Kurt shook his head, unable to finish the rest of his thought. It was so frustrating that Rick was allowed to return.

Sebastian said, “Well, you’re safe here.  That’s what’s important.” Kurt and Sugar both nodded in agreement.

 

By the time lunch time came around, Kurt was in high spirits again.  He was excited to give Sebastian part of his Valentine’s Day gift. After French class he said, “ _I have a surprise for you at lunch, so skip the food, and head for your seat_.”

Sebastian loved hearing Kurt speak French.  He smiled, _“Hmm...A surprise?_ ”

“ _Oui,”_  Kurt smiled.

Sebastian made his way to their normal seats with the Warblers.  Before Kurt sat down, he whispered to Sebastian, _“I’ll be right back.”_ When he returned, he was carrying a silver tray full of French cheeses, crackers, and grapes, and set it in front of Sebastian, along with his drink.  

Seb’s eyes widened, “No way!”  He looked up at Kurt, shocked, but smiling,  “How did you even get this?!”

Kurt sat down next to Sebastian, smiling, “I sweet-talked the lady at Jungle Jim’s into shipping it to me.  Sugar brought them with her this morning, and Sandy let me keep them in the fridge.”

“Oh my God, Baby, thank you!”  He leaned over and kissed Kurt on the cheek. “Mmmm…”

Sebastian and Kurt shared the cheese platter, but Kurt was glad he had gotten a salad too.  French cheese was not his thing, apparently. Sebastian, on the other hand, loved them all.

 

Kurt entered History class that afternoon, and noticed how his teacher was dressed right away.  “Wow, Mr. Schlotman. You certainly are festive today,” Kurt said, smiling as he walked into the class.  Mr Schlotman was wearing a suit coat with a red handkerchief sticking out of the breast pocket. His complimenting tie was pink with red hearts.

“Yes, well, Mr. Hummel…”  he paused and winked, “I have what you kids call a ‘hot date’ tonight.”

Kurt smiled wide as he took his seat, “Good for you, Mr. Schlotman.  Taking her somewhere special?”

“Yes, indeed.  She’s my wife of 37 years, and tonight, we are revisiting the places we went on our very first date 39 years ago.”  Mr. Schlotman smiled, obviously proud of his idea.

“That is super romantic, Mr. Schlotman.  I’m impressed.”

Kurt was getting his notes out and preparing for class when Shawn walked in.  He looked up and froze as he realized that Shawn was headed toward him. Shawn winked.  It was an act that he and Sebastian did all the time, but when Shawn did it, it made his stomach turn.

Shawn put a card on top of Kurt’s notes.  He leaned in close as he sat next to Kurt, and whispered, “Be my Valentine?”

“Shawn!”  Cameron said sternly as he entered the room.  Kurt hadn’t even had a chance to respond to Shawn’s question.

Shawn snapped his head around.  Seeing the look on Cameron’s face as he marched toward them, he quickly got up and moved seats.  

Cameron sat next to Kurt like he had done all week, “Are you okay?”

Kurt nodded, “Y-yeah.  I’m okay.”

“Is that another card from Seb?”  Cameron motioned toward the card on Kurt’s desk.

Kurt shook his head and frowned, “No.  No, Shawn gave it to me. Asked me to be his Valentine.”

“Shit,”  Cameron whispered.  “Did you open it?”

“No.”

Mr. Schlotman began class, so they had to stop talking.  Cameron noticed the change in Kurt’s demeanor. He had been hopeful that Shawn was backing off, since he hadn’t said anything to Kurt since Sebastian talked to him on Monday.  

After class, Kurt looked at the card, still sitting in the same spot he had moved it to at the beginning of class.  “What am I supposed to do with this?”

Cameron answered, “Well, I’d say, you either throw it away, then tell Sebastian about it later, or you take it with you and let Sebastian see it.  Either way, he needs to know.”

“Of course.  I wouldn’t keep this from him.  I guess I’ll just let him see it.  He can even open it. I don’t want to.”  Kurt picked it up and put it in between his books.  Cameron walked him to his next class again, which Kurt was grateful for.

 

When Kurt made it to Art History, he came in and sat next to Sebastian.  Seb smiled at him and put his hand on his knee. Kurt, looked at him and gave a small smile as the teacher began the class.

As soon as class was over, Sebastian asked, “Are you okay, Babe?  You seem tense.”

Kurt shook his head as they began walking to Study Hall, “No,”  He pulled out the card. “Shawn gave this to me in History. He asked me to be his Valentine, and tried sitting next to me until Cameron came in and made him move.  I didn’t open it.” He handed Sebastian the card. Seb took it, and frowned as he opened it. He took a deep breath. The card was a picture of some ‘love potions’ in beakers and it read, “We have amazing chemistry”.  Seb opened the card, reading it. It simply read “Happy Valentine’s Day”, but the hand written message is what bothered Sebastian the most. He wrote, “I don’t need love potions to know you are right for me, Kurt. You need to give us a chance.  I think you would be pleasantly surprised. Love, Shawn.”

Kurt was biting his bottom lip nervously as he watched Sebastian read it.  Seb was furious that Shawn had the nerve to do this. But, as soon as he looked up, seeing the worried look on Kurt’s face, he quickly schooled his emotions.

“It’s okay, Babe.  Let’s get to Study Hall.”  He put his hand on the small of Kurt’s back, ushering him down the corridor.  

When they got to Study Hall, Shawn was already there.  Sebastian made sure they found a table far away from Shawn, sitting with their backs to him.   Nothing else was said about it. Sebastian needed time to think. He needed to fix this without causing himself to get in trouble, or to cause stress for Kurt.  

 

After Warbler rehearsal, both boys went to their rooms to pack for the weekend.  Burt was in DC, and Carol had gone to be with her husband for Valentine’s Day, so Kurt was spending the night at the Smythe home.  

When Sebastian got to Kurt’s room, they decided to go ahead and exchange gifts.  For them, Valentine’s Day was bigger than Christmas. Christmas more about spending time with family, baking, singing, special shows.  Valentine’s Day was about celebrating each other. They had talked about exchanging gifts after the party, but they knew they would be preoccupied with...other things.

They sat on Kurt’s bed, and Sebastian was the first to hand Kurt his gift.  It was a long box, and Kurt had no idea what it could be. He glanced up at Seb, giving him a curious look as he opened it.  When he finally saw what it was, his eyes widened. It was a smaller scale replica of the Alexander Calder mobile that Kurt had been fascinated with on their trip to the Cincinnati Art Museum.

“Bas!”  Kurt looked at him and smiled, “It’s the same one!”

“Well, smaller, and not worth millions of dollars… But, yes.  I thought you could hang it in here to relax you, and then we can hang it at home in New York.”

“Home in New York,”  Kurt repeated. “I love the sound of that.  And this perfect, Bas. I love it. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Babe.”  Sebastian leaned in and kissed his boyfriend.  

“Your turn!,”  Kurt exclaimed, “It’s more of ‘something to do’ gift.”  Kurt handed him a card that obviously had something in it.  Sebastian opened it and read the lovely card and it’s message.  He opened the envelope inside the card and read it. “No way. I can do that?!”

Kurt beamed, “Yep!  A glass blowing class!  Seems we were both thinking back to our trip to the museum.”

“Kurt, this is amazing.  I can’t wait to do this!”  He smiled at Kurt, “Thank you, Babe. Maybe I”ll be the next Dale Chihuly.”  

  


When Kurt and Sebastian arrived at Breadstix, aka The Love Shack, they both smiled wide and let out a little chuckle at the massive amounts of decorations that Sugar had adorned the restaurant with.  Both boys were looking forward to seeing their McKinley friends and Chris. They both felt like it had been way too long.

Kurt was walking towards the tables when he was suddenly swept off his feet and spun around in a huge hug from Puck.  “I’ve missed you soooo much, Princess!” Puck set him down, but didn’t let go, with a big kiss on the cheek, “Mmwaa!”

Kurt giggled, “I missed you too, Noah.”

“Alright, alright.  Let go of my man,” Sebastian smiled, but pulled Kurt back possessively.

“Okay,”  Puck smiled, and then grabbed Sebastian into a crushing hug, “I missed you too, man.”

Sebastian hugged back, “Me too.”  Kurt just smiled at them. He loved them both so much.  

 

After everyone ate, tables were moved so that there was a bigger dance floor.  Everyone was taking turns singing. After some dancing, Kurt and Sebastian sat back at a table against the wall and looked out at all the amazing people in their lives.  Seb had his arm around Kurt, rubbing his side mindlessly, while Kurt rested his head on Seb’s shoulder. Kurt couldn’t help but think of how it was all so different than his life had been just a couple of short years ago.  So much change in such a relatively short amount of time. Sometimes, it really just blew his mind.

 

He sat and watched as Clay and Avery danced.  He was so happy for Clay. Clay caught him watching, but Kurt didn’t look away.  He winked at Clay, who smiled and shook his head.

Kurt looked over and saw Thad and Chris laughing with Nick and Jeff.  He smiled at how easily Chris fit in with the others. He was so happy that Chris and Thad had hit it off.  

His eyes wandered to Puck and Sugar.  Puck was so sweet with her. He could practically see hearts in Puck’s eyes as he looked at his girl.  The look was returned as Sugar looked back at her man. Kurt just knew they were going to last.

Santana and Brittany were dirty dancing to a song that it wasn’t quite appropriate for.  He chuckled and shook his head. Leave it to his girls. He was happy that they could feel so free to be themselves around this group.  

Leah and Sam were dancing and laughing together, and Kurt thought it was adorable.  He wasn’t sure how their relationship would work out because of the age and grade difference, but he knew that for Leah, there was no better first boyfriend than Sam.  Sam was just as kind, loving, protective, and attentive as he was good looking. He smiled at the thought that maybe one day he and Sam might actually be brother-in-laws.  

Finn and Rachel were dancing by Sam and Leah.  Kurt loved them both, and he had worried about Rachel all week, after her failed audition.  He wasn’t sure if he should bring it up, or let her come to him when she was ready. He planned on just playing it by ear.  She looked happy tonight, though, and that made Kurt smile. He wondered how, or if, Finn and Rachel would make things work.  Finn was not a big city type of guy, and Rachel’s dream had always been New York. He worried about Finn getting his heart broken.  For tonight, he pushed those thoughts and feelings aside.

Tina and Mike and were dancing slowly together, even though it wasn’t a slow song.  He smiled as Mike bent down and kissed Tina. They always seemed so happy together.

Kurt was shaken from his thoughts when Sebastian nudged him and pointed over to Cameron.  Cameron had found the nerve to go talk to Quinn. They were both smiling and talking. They actually looked really good together.  Quinn was obviously beautiful, and Cameron was tall and handsome. He had dark blond hair and hazel eyes. Kurt kind of thought they looked like a real life Ken and Barbie.  

Kurt turned toward Sebastian, who was holding his hand.  Seb turned and smiled at him, “Everyone looks so happy.”

“Are _you_ happy?”  Kurt smiled.  He knew the answer, but wanted to hear it anyway.

“More than I’ve ever been in my entire life, Babe.”  Sebastian pulled Kurt into his lap and wrapped his arms around him.  “I love you so much, Kurt,” he whispered in Kurt’s ear as he nuzzled his neck, leaving some feather light kisses that sent chills down Kurt’s spine.

“I love you too, Bas.  So much,” Kurt pulled back and cupped Sebastian’s face with his hands, leaning in to kiss his boyfriend.  They both hummed into the kiss, but were interrupted when Puck sat down next to them with Sugar.

“Can we get in on that action?”  Puck winked at them and wiggled his eyebrows.

“What action?”  Jeff said as he and Nick approached, sitting on the other side of Kurt and Seb.

Puck answered, “The kissing these two had going on over here.”  He smirked.

Jeff shook his head, “I wonder about you sometimes, Puck.”  

Kurt chuckled, “Right?!  I have always said that.”

Puck shrugged, “I don’t know, man.  I mean girls, specifically Sugar, are my thing.  But sex is sex. It’s all sexy and hot to me.” Puck smiled at Sugar when she kissed his cheek.

“Really?  Gay sex doens’t bother you?  Seeing two guys having anal sex is sexy to you?”  Sebastian raised his eyebrow questioning Puck’s sincerity.

Puck shrugged again, “Sure, man.  I mean, I’ve never really had a desire to participate, but it’s still hot to see.  I don’t know much about it, I guess, but sex is sex, love is love, passion is passion.”

“What is there to know?”  Sugar asked. She looked around at her four gay friends looking at her, “What?  I mean, we know where you put it, soooo….”

They all laughed.  

“So, I do have a question,”  Puck said. “How do you decide who receives, and who gives?”

Nick smiled, “You mean, who tops, and who bottoms?”

“Yeah, I guess.”  

Kurt said, “It depends on the couple.  Some guys never bottom, or never top. Ever.  Some switch. Some switch, but have a preferred choice most of the time, like us.” He gave Puck a pointed look, “And you cannot tell just by looking at someone.  It’s not the same as with heterosexual couples.” He looked at Sugar, “And you don’t just ‘put it there’. There’s prep involved. Unless pain is your thing, I guess.”  They all chuckled.

Sugar said, “Hey, girls need a little prep sometimes too.”  Sugar wiggled her eyebrows. Kurt was secretly happy that they were talking about this with Sugar and she was so open to talking.  He wasn’t sure if she was comfortable with anything having to do with sex after what happened with Mack. Kurt took this as a sign that she was at least on the right path.  

His thought was interrupted by Jeff who asked, “So Puck… You totally would have kissed us that day at Dalton, wouldn’t you?”

Kurt and Sebastian’s eyes widened, “What?!” Kurt asked with his mouth hanging open.  

Puck laughed, “Yeah, probably.”  He looked at Kurt and Seb, “When I was delivering for Sugar at Dalton, everyone was staring.  Jeff said we should give them something to talk about. We held hands on the way out, but I said something referring to doing more.  But I would never cheat on Sugar, and I wouldn’t want you two to get in trouble.” He shrugged again.

“I would have paid money to see that,”  Sebastian smiled.

Nick turned to Jeff, “Maybe we should have a house party, get Puck drunk, and see if he’s telling the truth.”

“Spin the bottle?”  Jeff asked.

Sebastian said, “Well, you all can kiss each other all you want, but Kurt and I are off limits.  No one is touching my man.” He squeezed Kurt, who leaned in for another kiss.

“I’m not sharing mine either,”  Sugar said.

“We’re just messing with you.  I was just surprised by Puck’s reaction, that’s all,”  Nick smiled.

“You know as well as I do that neither you would allow that to happen.  You love each other too much.” Kurt said, shaking his head. Both Nick and Jeff agreed.  

Chris and Thad walked up, “What are you guys talking about over here, that is more important than singing and dancing?”  Chris asked.

“Sex,”  They all answered, laughing.

“O-kay…”  Thad said, staring at the group.

Kurt smiled, knowing that made the two newbies uncomfortable, so he thought he’d save them, “Let’s go dance!”

Everyone hopped up except Sebastian, “I’ll join you in a minute.  Go have fun.” Kurt bent down and kissed him on the cheek before turning to the dance floor.  

Puck stayed back with Sebastian.  They both watched their friends for a few minutes until Puck asked, “Is he doing any better?  I miss the shit out of him, man.”

“I know you do,”  Sebastian said without taking his eyes off of Kurt dancing with Sugar.

“That didn’t answer my question, Seb.”  

Sebastian sighed, “Things are almost perfect.”

“...Almost?”  Puck raised his eyebrows.  

“He likes his classes.  He knows at least a couple of people in each class, so that helps.  Cameron is his roommate, and he’s great. He’s been pretty protective of Kurt, which I love.  But there’s this guy, Shawn,” Sebastian leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table in front of him as he turned his head toward Puck, “He won’t fucking leave Kurt alone.  We thought he was, after Nick and Cameron and I went to talk to him. But today he gave Kurt a card and asked him to be his fucking Valentine.”

Puck frowned, “And he knows you two are together?  I mean, it’s obvious when you’re in a room together, but he’s seen you together?”

Seb nodded, “Yeah.  Before Kurt even came back to Dalton.  He was hitting on me when Kurt showed up with Sugar for the meeting with Headmaster Larson.  Kurt came around the corner and saw it. He made it quite clear to Shawn that I was taken. He looked at Kurt like he was a piece of meat, so I told him we were both off limits.  It’s like once he saw Kurt, he’s all he wants. And Shawn knew of Kurt last year, but mentioned he was off limits because he was with Blaine. So what’s the fucking difference now?”

“Shit,”  Puck frowned.  “Do you think he’s dangerous?”

“Everyone seems to think he’s not.  They all agree that he’s just an ass. Thad dated him a couple of years ago and said he’s just a mouthy asshole.  But the thing that gets me is that I can’t do much about it without getting in trouble. If I go too far, then I can’t be with Kurt at school.  Shawn even pointed that out to me. Like he’s taunting me with it.”

“What about the zero tolerance policy?  Can he get away with it?”

“Technically, he hasn’t broken any rules.  But Kurt feels really uncomfortable around him.”

“Well if he fucking touches him, you let me know.  I will drop everything, and be there.” Puck put his hand on Seb’s shoulder.

“I know, man. Thanks.  I already threatened him with you and the guys, anyway.”  Sebastian smiled, and Puck laughed.

“Glad to have been of assistance, without even knowing it.”

Puck and Sebastian watched for a few more minutes.  Sebastian asked, “How is Sugar doing? Are things getting back to normal for her?  Or for you both?”

“She’s actually doing really well.  That talk she had with Princess really helped.  We’re almost where we used to be when it comes to intimacy.  Honestly, I’m afraid to push it. I told her when she’s ready again, I’ll be here ready too.  I don’t want her to think that sex is all I think about.”

“She knows it’s not.  It’s obvious to everyone that you love her, and it’s not just about that.”

“Yeah, I hope so,”  Puck said. “I’d do anything for her.”

“I know the feeling,”  Sebastian said.

 

Everyone was dancing, including Kurt and Sebastian, when Sugar came up to them, bouncing up and down, “I have a song request!”

“A song request?”  Kurt asked. He actually hadn’t sung all night.  Neither had Sebastian.

“Yeah, Angel!  I want you two to sing ‘I’ll Cover You’ as a duet.  Pleeeaaassse!!!”

They both chuckled at her ridiculousness.  Kurt looked at Sebastian, who nodded, so Kurt turned back to Sugar, “Alright, Sugar.  Because we love you.”

“Yay!”  She headed straight for the DJ, and then the microphone, “Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls!  I am so honored to present to you, two of my very best friends in the whole entire world! You’ve seen them in video.  You’ve seen them on Twitter. And now… Brought to you LIVE at the Love Shack, singing their rendition of ‘I’ll Cover You’, from Broadway’s _RENT_!….Kurt Hummel and Sebastian Smythe!”

Both boys were laughing at her silliness as they took the stage.

Sebastian smiled and said, “Thank you, Sugar.  I don’t think we’ve ever been announced with such enthusiasm before!”

Kurt and Sebastian sang their duet together.  They got completely lost in the song, and lost in each other.  When the song ended, they stood staring into each other’s eyes, not even paying attention to the cheering of the crowd.  Kurt moved forward at the same time as Sebastian. They wrapped their arms around each other and kissed. The crowd cheered more.

When they finally pulled away, Kurt was painfully aware that they were still on stage and everyone was watching.  He wasn’t opposed to PDA, but on stage in front of almost everyone he knew? Ooops. Kurt was grateful for the fact that they were in a room full of their friends.  Otherwise, it could have resulted in trouble.

They made their way back down to the crowd, holding each other for a slow dance as Rachel sang a ballad with as much emotion as she could muster.  Kurt whispered in Sebastian’s ear, “I have one more Valentine’s Day gift for you. But we’ll need to be home for you to receive it.”

Sebastian pulled Kurt impossibly closer and moaned, “What would this gift entail?”  

“Mmm…”  Kurt ran his fingers gently down Sebastian’s neck, making him shudder, “It’s something I’m wearing.”

“Baby…”  Sebastian leaned down and kissed Kurt again.  “Are you ready to go?”

Kurt giggled, “It’s still a little early, don’t you think?”

“Nope.  I think it’s rather late, and we should head home now.  Right now.”

Kurt smiled, “I won’t make you wait too much longer, Bas.  I promise.” Sebastian tightened his grip on Kurt.

When the song ended, Sebastian spun Kurt around and they began dancing to the faster beat.  

After awhile, Kurt sat and rested for a few minutes, nursing his diet coke.  Things had been so fast paced and changing so much lately, and it was catching up to him.  He just needed to be off his feet for a few minutes.

Chris came up and sat next to Kurt.  Kurt smiled softly at him, putting his hand on Chris’ shoulder.  “Are you doing okay, Chris?”

Chris looked at Kurt and smiled, “Yeah.  I’m doing great, actually. Thad is awesome.  Thanks again for fixing us up.”

“You’re welcome.  How are things at school?”

Chris shrugged, “Okay, I guess.  I miss cheering.”

“Do people mess with you because you’re out, or do they leave you alone?”

“Most of them leave me alone.  Some people are assholes, but nothing I can’t handle.”  Chris shrugged.

“You know, you can talk to me about that, if you need to.  Nobody understands better than me.” Kurt made a face.

Chris nodded, “Yeah.  I was sorry to hear that things got bad again at McKinley.  Thad is happy to have you back at Dalton, but we both wish it wasn’t for those reasons.”

“Me too.”

“Hey hot stuff!”  Santana said as she sat in Chris’ lap, “Come dance with me!”  She hopped up and pulled Chris to the dance floor. Kurt laughed as Chris eyes widened and he looked back at Kurt, pleading silently for help, even though he was laughing.  Kurt just smiled and held up his hands helplessly.

Sebastian walked up to Kurt and held out his hand, “May I have this dance?”

“Absolutely,”  Kurt smiled as he took Sebastian’s offered hand.

As they danced, Kurt leaned up and whispered in Seb’s ear, “I think I’m ready to show you what I’m wearing, Sir.”

 

Ten minutes later, Kurt and Sebastian had said goodbye to everyone, and made sure Leah was still staying at Rachel's with some of the girls.  When they were on their way home, Sebastian looked over to Kurt, “Did you have a good time?”

“Yeah, it was really fun.”

“I was hoping you wouldn’t be sad, seeing all of the people you had to leave.  You kind of kept to yourself a bit every now and then.”

Kurt chuckled, “There’s a few reasons for that.  I’m tired. It’s been a long week.”

“I know, Babe.”  Sebastian rubbed the knuckles of Kurt’s hand he was holding.

“I was also just watching.  I was thinking of all the couples there tonight.  Thinking of which ones are new, and if I think it’s a good match.  Clay came up and thanked me for tricking he and Avery into sitting together on the bus last weekend.  They are really hitting it off.”

“He’s a nice guy.  He and Jack both found me at one point and asked me how you were doing, and if you are okay at Dalton.  I think they were a little nervous to ask you themselves. You know, in case you weren’t doing as well as they hoped.”

“They’re nice.  It’s a shame I didn’t know them sooner.”  Kurt stared out the window for a minute, “I was also watching the other couples, wondering which ones will last, and which ones won’t.  Some are obvious, like Noah and Sugar, but I worry about others, like Finn and Rachel.”

“Are they having problems?”  Sebastian glanced at Kurt before returning his eyes to the road.

“Nothing different than their typical bickering.  They’re fine, I think. It’s just that they want totally different things.  She wants to take New York by storm, and Finn would be perfectly happy staying here and taking over the garage one day.  He’s just not a big city type of guy.”

“Yeah, I can see that. Hopefully they figure things out before too long.  Graduation is right around the corner, and they both might end up with broken hearts.”

“Hmm, any other reasons why I would find you sitting out, not participating in the singing and dancing?”

Kurt smirked, “What I’m wearing may have played a bit of a role.”

“Hmmm…”

 

It was silent for several minutes until Kurt started giggling.  Sebastian raised an eyebrow and glanced at him, “Thinking about Puck?”

Kurt’s giggles turned into a laugh, “Yes!  I really wish I had seen the three of them at Dalton, holding hands.  And even more, I wish I had seen everyone else’s reaction.”

“Me too.  Do you think Nick and Jeff would really kiss him?  Or more?”

“Not sober.  But, I don’t know.  I mean, it’s obvious they love each other, but you never know what someone’s sex life is like.  Just look at us. Maybe Nick and Jeff are more adventurous than we think. I know they wouldn’t mess with someone who isn’t fully on board though.”

“Yeah.  I guess you never know.”

 

Once they were home, they found the house empty.  There was a note on the kitchen island, informing them that Robert and Tori decided to head to Columbus for their date, would likely get a hotel room, and not to wait up.  

“Well, that’s convenient.”  Kurt smirked and wiggled his eyebrows.  

Sebastian smiled, “It is.”  He grabbed Kurt, wrapping his arms possessively around his boyfriend. “Now, we’re going to go upstairs, and you’re going to show me what it is you’re wearing under these fine clothes of yours.”

There was a twinkle in Kurt’s eyes as he looked up at Sebastian through his lashes, “Yes, Sir.”

They headed upstairs.  Sebastian leaned up against the door of his bedroom once it was closed, and watched Kurt who was standing next to the bed, “Strip.”

Kurt gave a teasing grin, “Yes, Sir.”  He unbuttoned his shirt, letting it fall to the ground.  Sebastian looked at the clothes, then up to Kurt. Leaving his clothes lay there in a pile was very unlike Kurt.  Kurt, in return, grinned bigger.

He continued stripping, taking off his shoes, socks, and pants.  Once he made it to his boxer briefs, Sebastian was confused. He had seen these underwear before.  Kurt said he was wearing the rest of the gift...but….

Seconds later, Kurt was standing, seemingly, completely nude.  Sebastian made his way over to him, taking off his own shirt on his way.  He stood shirtless, inches from Kurt, “Feet, hands, head.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt immediately stood with his feet apart, hands behind his back, and his head bowed.  

Sebastian circled him, but did not touch him.  “Were you teasing me when you said you were wearing the rest of my Valentine’s Day gift?”

The smile on Kurt’s lips faded.  His eyes widened for a split second and he quickly said, “No, Sir.  I am wearing it.” He didn’t want his Dom upset with him, and the fact that he wasn’t being touched as Seb circled him, made Kurt’s heart flip, and not in a good way.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow and smirked, “Babe...Are you wearing a plug?”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt smirked a little, but he was suddenly a little nervous.

“Fuck, Baby.”  Sebastian reached up and caressed Kurt’s face.  Kurt let out a breathe, visibly relaxing. Sebastian kissed him and ran his hands down Kurt’s side.  He reached around and groped Kurt’s ass. When his fingers grazed the plug, Sebastian groaned into Kurt’s mouth.  

He pulled away from the kiss, “Hands and knees on the bed.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt crawled slowly like a cat onto the bed, waiting for Sebastian in the middle.  He arched his back, putting his ass on display.

Sebastian growled.  He quickly undressed the rest of the way.  Crawling up behind Kurt, he ran his hand down the full length of Kurt’s spine.  He put his thumb on plug, wiggling it gently. Kurt let out a moan. Sebastian took a minute to memorize the image of this man that he loves.

He slowly and gently removed the plug, setting it aside and grabbing the lube.  He returned to his spot behind Kurt while applying lube, “You look incredible.”

“Sir…”

“What is it, Babe?”  Sebastian asked as he rubbed Kurt’s ass.

“Sir… Please...Fuck me hard.”

Sebastian let out the most animalistic noise that Kurt had ever heard him make.  He smacked his ass, making Kurt gasp. For a split second, Sebastian regretted the action, but then Kurt said, “Again, Sir.  Please.”

Sebastian smacked his ass a few more times, each time, Kurt let out a moan.  Sebastian couldn’t take it anymore. He lined himself up with Kurt’s entrance, and quickly thrust inside.  There was no slow and steady, or time to adjust. Sebastian thought the plug was the best Valentine’s gift he could have ever gotten.

Seb was gripping Kurt’s hips so tightly, that it was sure to leave bruises.  He was pounding into him mercilessly. After a few minutes, Sebastian leaned forward and grabbed Kurt’s arms, pulling them behind him.  Kurt’s torso was forward, arms back, and Sebastian’s pace quickened. “You’re always such a good boy for me, Kurt.” Kurt was moaning and grunting at the pounding he was taking.  He loved every second of it.

“Whose are you, Kurt?”

“Yours, Sir.  Only yours. Always yours.”

“Good boy.”  Sebastian pulled Kurt up so he was practically sitting in his lap as he thrust into him.  He had one arm wrapped through the crook of Kurt’s elbows so that his arms were still behind his back.  Seb’s other arm wrapped over Kurt’s left shoulder, across his neck, and gripped his right shoulder. Kurt’s head was back, resting on Sebastian’s shoulder.

Sebastian’s pace was hard and fast.  He let go with the arm that was wrapped around Kurt’s shoulders and moved it to grab Kurt’s hair, tugging it back, “Cum for me, Kurt.”

“Fuuuuck, Sir!”  Only a few thrusts later, Kurt was coming hard and fast up his chest.  Sebastian was cumming only seconds later.

Both boys collapsed on the bed.  “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” Sebastian panted.  

“I’m great, Sir.”

Once Sebastian caught his breath, he got a cloth to clean Kurt up with.  “Thank you, Baby. I loved all of my gifts today, but that one was especially incredible.”

Kurt curled up in Sebastian’s arms, smiling, “I’m glad you liked it.”

 

 


	44. New York Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coffee and Soccer... Then off to New York!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really long chapter. I'm dividing New York into two chapters. The long awaited penthouse description is in this one! I took my inspiration from combining ideas I saw online, as well as how I would change them if I were rich enough to live there (never gonna happen, lol). Unlike other places listed in this story, this is not an actual place, to my knowledge.  
> Hope you enjoy. Please leave comments letting me know if you liked it. I need your motivation! Thanks everyone who has stuck with me so far! Love you all!

The boys had an amazing weekend.  Sugar’s Love Shack party, amazing sex, winning regionals, and hanging out with family.  When they returned to Dalton Sunday evening, Kurt and Sebastian sat in the commons area of the dorm wing.  

Kurt laid his head on Sebastian’s shoulder and Sebastian put his arm around Kurt.    
“So what does this week look like?  Doesn’t spring soccer start this week?”

“Yeah,”  Sebastian stroked Kurt’s arm lazily as they spoke, “We have tryouts on Wednesday, and then regular practices start next week.  Warbler rehearsal is down to Tuesdays and Thursdays until we get a little closer to Nationals. Then we’ll add on Friday rehearsals at minimum, once the date gets closer.”

“Okay, I’m going to go ahead and meet everyone at Lima Bean on Wednesday then.”

“Good, because the flight I booked to New York is Friday after school, so you won’t be able to see them this weekend.  You might want to stop at home Wednesday after coffee and get any clothes or anything else you think you might need for the weekend.”  Sebastian turned and kissed Kurt’s forehead.

Kurt sighed as his content smile spread across his face, “I can’t wait to see New York.  I can’t wait to get away with just you. I can’t wait to see out new home.”

Sebastian’s smile matched Kurt’s, “Me too.”

 

………………

 

On Wednesday, Kurt walked into the Lima Bean and approached the counter, “Hi, Shannon.”

Shannon, the barista, did a double take.  “Kurt?” He was wearing his Dalton uniform because he was short on time.  He had to meet his friends, run home and have dinner with family, and then pack for New York.

Kurt smiled and held his hands out, “Yep.  I traded one uniform for another.”

“You’re going to Dalton now?  Where is Sebastian?”

“I am.  Things got… complicated at McKinley.  And Sebastian has soccer tryouts today.”

“Huh.  Well, congrats on the Nationals win.  I didn’t get to watch live, since I was here, but I saw some clips.  You’re pretty amazing.”

Kurt smiled, “Thanks, Shannon.  Hey, can I get my usual?”

She smiled, “Sure.”  She rang him up and took his cash.  “Your friends have been here for awhile.”

Kurt shook his head, “Yeah, I’m sure they didn’t want me to be alone here, so they got here first.”

Shannon frowned as she handed him his change, which he put in the tip jar.  “Everything okay?”

Kurt looked up, not really realizing that he had said that out loud, “Hmm?  Yeah! Yeah. It’s fine.” Kurt took the coffee from her and nodded, “Thanks, Shannon.”

 

Kurt was greeted warmly by his friends.  Everyone was congratulating him on advancing to Nationals with the Warblers, and he returned the congratulations to the New Directions.  

“It sucks that we didn’t get to see your performance though,”  Rachel said. “You can see ours on JBI’s website.”

“I actually already saw it.  Bas and I watched it Sunday night.  You guys were amazing!” Kurt smiled, “And I think I can get you a copy of ours.  I know some of the guys had their parents record it, and Chris can probably even text us a video since I’m pretty sure he recorded it too.”

“You know, now we can’t avoid being competition anymore.”  Rachel playfully glared at him.

He huffed out a laugh, “I know.  And we’ll kick your butt.”

After some banter back and forth, Puck couldn’t hold it in any more, “So tell me about Shawn.”

Everyone but Sugar and Sam frowned in confusion.  “Who is Shawn?,” Finn asked.

Kurt looked uncomfortable.  He looked at Sam. He assumed Bas said something to Leah, who in turn, said something to Sam.  He could tell Sam knew, and since Puck asked, Sebastian must have said something to him, which meant that Sugar knew too.  He cleared his throat. “Um, Shawn is a guy at school who likes me.”

“But you’re not going to-”  Mercedes started to ask. Kurt quickly interrupted.

“No!  God, no.  Bas and I are endgame.  There will never be anyone else.”

“So, does this Shawn guy just have a crush then?”  Finn was still frowning.

“Um, I don’t think it’s a crush.”  Kurt answered.

“Then what do you call it?”  Sam asked.

Kurt rolled his eyes dramatically, “He wants in my pants.  He doesn’t care about anything else.”

“But he’s pushy, right?”  Puck said as he leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table.

Kurt looked down at his lap, “Yeah, a bit.  I don’t’ know. Maybe he’s not as pushy as we think, and we’re just sensitive, given my unusual circumstances.”

“And how does Sebastian handle all of it?”  Mike asked, “He’s never had competition before.  Especially pushy competition.”

Kurt shook his head, “First of all, Bas doesn’t have _any_ competition.  Can we change the subject?  Please?”

“Sorry, Princess.” 

“Sorry, Kurt.”

“So, you and Seb are going to New York this weekend, right?”  Sugar asked.

Kurt smiled, grateful to Sugar for the subject change, “Yeah.  I’m so excited!”

“What are your plans while you’re there?”  Tina smiled. She could see how Kurt’s face lit up, and she liked it.  

“Well, our main reason for going is for me to see where we’ll be living, and see the neighborhood.  That way I won’t have to see it for the first time when we actually move in. Other than that, I have no idea.  I think we’re just winging it.” Kurt’s phone rang, interrupting him.

He looked at the caller ID, “It’s Tori.  Give me a minute.”

He got up and walked over to an empty part of the coffee shop, “Hi, Tori.  Is everything okay?”

“Oh, yes, everything is fine.  Seb said you were meeting everyone in Lima tonight, so I wondered if maybe you could swing by the house on your way back to Dalton and grab his bag for New York.”

“Oh, sure!  I can do that.  I’ll be there after dinner.  Is any time okay?”

“Yes, we’ll be here.  Thanks, hun. We’ll see you soon.”

 

\--

 

Sebastsian was sitting next to Thad in the bleachers of the gym waiting for the soccer meeting to start prior to tryouts when Shawn walked in.  He strolled over to the area where Sebastian was sitting and he smirked when Sebastian looked at him. He sat behind Seb in the bleachers. Thad could feel the tension coming off of Sebastian.  Shawn could have sat anywhere, yet he chose to sit behind Seb. It was unnerving.

When Cameron came in to the meeting, he noticed Shawn’s seat of choice right away.  He went and sat next to Shawn, just to make sure he was kept in line. If Shawn could choose his seat to makes someone feel uncomfortable, he could too.  If Shawn shifting in his seat was any indication, his idea was working.

The tryouts went well, and Sebastian had a good feeling about getting the goalie position.  After drills and tryouts, the boys decided to head to the weight room. Sebastian was lifting free weights when Shawn approached him.

“Are you sure you sure you want to join the team, Smythe?  That will leave an awful lot of time for Kurt to be on his own.  Someone may try to swoop in and steal him.”

“Not that anyone could, but the only one stupid enough at this school to try is you, and you’ll be on the team too.”  Sebastian didn’t even look up.

“Huh.  Well maybe I shouldn’t join the team then.”

Cameron had had enough.  He set down the weights he had been lifting and walked up to Shawn.  He stood inches from him, arms crossed. He tilted his head, “I think you need to leave.”

Shawn looked at Sebastian without acknowledging Cameron.  “I’ll make you a deal. I will leave Kurt alone. But in return, I get you.”

Sebastian looked at Shawn and shook his head, “Kurt is mine.  I am his. No one else gets either of us. I’m sure there are other gay guys at this school that are single.  Go try to hit on one of them.”

Shawn chuckled in response before turning and walking away.  

Cameron shook his head, “I swear one of these days I’m going to end up pummeling that asshole.  I don’t know how you do it.”

“I do it because I don’t want to get in trouble and chance messing up the future that Kurt and I have planned.  If I got kicked out of school, Kurt would be around him without me. If I get kicked out, there goes Columbia.  Even if I don’t do pre med, I still want to go there. I can deal with an asshole for awhile. As long as he doesn’t touch Kurt.  Then, I’m not making any promises.”

 

\--

 

Dinner at the Hudmel house was nice.  Kurt missed this time with his family, and it had only been less than two weeks.  New York was the main topic of discussion at dinner, although Kurt really didn’t have too much to say, since he didn’t know what to expect from the weekend.  He packed his suitcase as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. The only request Sebastian had made was for Kurt to pack a suit, in case they could see a show.

As soon as he was finished packing, he hugged and kissed his family goodbye.  Kurt looked at his dad, “I’ll be fine, Dad.” He could tell he was worried already.

“I know you will.  I just can’t believe this is all happening already.  You two stick together, and stay safe.”

“You know Bas will take good care of me...Not that I need it.”

“I know.  We’ll pick you up at the airport Sunday night, and you can tell us all about it.  And I want to see pictures. Text me pictures.”

Kurt loving rolled his eyes, “Okay.  I love you all.”

“We love you, too.”  Carol went in for one more hug.

 

Kurt pulled up to the Smythe home and was met at the door by Leah.  She pulled him inside and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

“How is Dalton treating you?”  She asked as they hugged.

“Good.  It’s nice knowing so many people there,” he leaned back, “That made it so much easier than the last time.  How are things for you at Crawford Country Day?”

“Good!  I really like it, and I love being at home.”

Robert came walking around the corner, “Kurt!”

Kurt smiled, “Hi, Robert!”

“How are you, son?  Did I hear correctly that things are good at Dalton?”  Robert asked as he hugged Kurt.

“They are.  Everything is good.  I was just telling Leah that it’s nicer this time because I know so many people there already.  I actually know at least a couple of people in each of my classes. Bas is in three of my classes, so that’s always a bonus,”  Kurt winked, and Leah and Robert chuckled.

“Good.  Come on into the living room.  Tori and Leah packed Seb’s bag, so he should have everything he needs, including a suit that he requested.”

The three of them made their way into the living room, where Kurt was greeted lovingly by Tori.  After a some hugs, she said, “Please, Kurt, have a seat. Robert and I wanted to talk to you for a minute.  All good things, I promise.”

“Okay,”  Kurt said as he followed Tori over to the couch.

Leah followed, “I’m going to go finish my homework.  Bye, Kurt. Have fun this weekend.” She came over and gave him a hug before he sat.

He hugged her back, “Bye, Leah.  Thanks.”

He sat next to Tori, and Robert sat across from them in a chair.  Tori didn’t waste any time, “I want to talk to you about the penthouse.”

“Okay…”  Kurt had no idea where she was going with this, so he just sat and listened.

“First, I want you to know that we are so glad you and Sebastain agreed to move in together, and especially happy that you two chose the penthouse.  I know there’s probably several reasons you agreed to moving into the penthouse with Sebastian. It’s smart financially, the security is great, and of course, you and Seb will be together.  It’s been in Robert’s family since that building was built. It’s been lived in by members of both of our families before. My sister stayed for awhile, but mostly since the kids have been alive, we’ve used it more as a vacation home, or a place for Robert on business trips.”  Kurt was nodding to what she was saying. She continued, “Anyway, I want you to know that this will be _your_ home now.  This is not you living in _our_ home.  So, if you want to change something, change it.  If you want to add something, add it. I want you and Seb to make it your own.  It’s already furnished, obviously, but I want you and Seb to add your personal touches and make it your own space.  I don’t want you to feel like you’re staying with someone else while you go to school. This is _your_ home now.”

Kurt had tears in his eyes, “I don’t know what to say.  Sometimes I feel like I’m dreaming. I find the perfect guy, and he comes with the perfect family.  How did I get so lucky?” Robert and Tori chuckled, but Kurt continued, “Thank you so much. I can’t tell how much all of this means to me.  Everything...”

Tori leaned over and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.  Robert smiled, “We love you, Kurt. We are so happy that you and Sebastian found each other.  Seb is truly himself now with you. We missed him, and are grateful that he’s back now. It’s all because of you.  Having you in our lives is a bonus, for sure. We couldn’t be happier to have you as part of the family.”

 

………………………..

 

Friday came a lot sooner than Kurt thought it would.  He helped Sugar that morning, and she hugged and kissed him a little extra, wishing him a safe, fun trip.  Sebastian greeted them both with coffee like he always did on days Sugar made her deliveries.

Classes that day seemed to drag on forever.  By the time Kurt made it to history, he sat with his leg bouncing up and down anxiously.  Cameron came in and took his normal seat next to him. Shawn sat back and watched Kurt’s odd behaviour.  Before class started, Mr. Schlotman snorted, “Are you okay, Mr. Hummel? You seem… anxious.”

Kurt was zoned out, and when he heard his name, he snapped out of it, “Hmm?  Yes. Yes, Mr. Schlotman, I’m fine. My boyfriend and I are going to New York after school today.  I’m just excited, and anxious. I’ve never been to New York, and I’ve never flown before. We’re going to check out the place where we’ll be living next year.  Time has been going at a snail’s pace today, and I’m just …waiting.”

Mr. Schlotman smiled, “That’s exciting!”

Cameron turned to Kurt and frowned a bit, “You’ve never flown?”

Kurt shook his head, “No.  We didn’t get away much while I was growing up.  Dad couldn’t leave the garage much, so any vacation we took was always within driving distance.  It’s a big weekend of firsts for me, I guess.”

“That’s exciting.  I’m sure Seb will make it a great weekend,”  Cameron said as he got out all of his notes.

“Of course he will.  Any weekend with Bas is a great weekend.”

Cameron smiled at that, and Shawn sat in the back and just rolled his eyes.  He didn’t know Sebastian and Kurt were moving in together for college.

 

\--

 

Tori and Leah dropped the boys off at the airport.  Kurt turned to Sebastian, “You’re going to have to lead the way.  I’ve never done this before.”

Sebastian stopped on the sidewalk, “You haven’t?”

Kurt stopped too.  He shook his head, “No.  I’ve never flown. I’m actually more nervous about that than I am about New York.”

“I didn’t realize that, Babe.  You’ll be fine. I got us first class tickets, so you’ll be comfortable.”

They began moving forward in the check-in line that was just inside the doors of the airport.  “You got first class tickets? You didn’t need to do that.”

Seb caressed Kurt’s cheek with one hand, then leaned forward and kissed his forehead.  He lowered his voice, “I know. I thought we already had this discussion about me spoiling you.”

Kurt blushed a little, and smirked as he whispered, “Yes, Sir.”

 

When the boys boarded the plane, they found their seats.  The seats were large, cream colored, and cushioned, like a chair in someone’s living room.  Kurt sat by the window, and Sebastian sat in the aisle seat. There was a flight attendant there immediately, asking if they would like something to drink.  Seb ordered a Coke for himself, and a Diet Coke for Kurt. Once the drinks came, Kurt relaxed a bit.

When one of the flight attendants did his safety speech, Kurt became a little more anxious.  He was doing okay, until the plane began to move. “Sir…” Kurt whispered as he grabbed Sebastian’s hand and squeezed.

Sebastian knew that if Kurt was calling him Sir, that he was scared, and needed reassurance.  “It’s okay, Baby. It gets kind of loud. You’ll feel the air pressure change slightly.” Sebastian got out a couple pieces of gum.  He handed one to Kurt and popped another piece in his own mouth. “Chew this. It will help keep your ears from popping. You'll feel when the tires leave the ground, and you’ll be able to tell when we level out after awhile.  There are no big, major changes. Some people don’t even notice any of it after flying a few times.” He rubbed Kurt’s knuckles as he held his hand. “Try to just look out the window and enjoy the view. I’ve got you.” Kurt nodded and whispered so softly Sebastian almost didn’t hear him, “Yes, Sir.”

As the plane accelerated, Sebastian held Kurt’s hand with both of his as Kurt looked out the window.  He brought Kurt’s hand up and kissed it as the tires left the ground. Kurt’s other hand was grasping the arm of the seat so hard that his knuckles were turning white.  “Are you okay?” Sebastian asked softly. Kurt nodded ‘yes’ as he leaned back in his seat.

The rest of the flight was thankfully uneventful.  When it was time to descend, Sebastian explained what was going to happen and what it would feel like.  Kurt found that very helpful and comforting.

“There it is.”  Sebastian smiled as he gestured to the city view.

Kurt smiled, “It’s beautiful.”

He liked landing less than taking off, but he did okay.  “I’m proud of you, Kurt.” Sebastian whispered as the plane slowly drove to the correct gate.

“Thank you, Sir.  And thank you for helping me through it.  I didn’t expect to get that worked up about it.”

“That’s okay.  You did well,” Sebastian reassured him as he leaned in and kissed his forehead.  The forehead kiss was quickly becoming one of Kurt’s favorites.

 

Once the boys had their bags, Sebastian hailed a cab.  He gave the address of the Upper West Side penthouse, Kurt texted his dad and Tori that they had arrived, and the boys sat back and enjoyed the views along the way. Sebastian pointed things out as they made their way through the city, but tried not to make it too overwhelming for Kurt.  After all, they’d have the rest of their lives to explore every inch of the city.

When the cab stopped, Kurt looked confused.  “What’s the matter, Babe?” Sebastian squeezed his hand.

Kurt looked at the building, then out the other window to the view across the street, then back at the building.  Sebastian was handing the cab driver money when Kurt said, “Bas, this is...this is right across from Central Park?”

Sebastian smiled, “Yeah.  Wait until you see the views,”  He grabbed Kurt’s hand again, “Come on.”

Kurt got out of the cab with Sebastian and looked straight up.  The high-rise building was tall and grand. Kurt couldn’t believe they were actually going to live here.  

In the front of the building, there was a black awning and large outdoor carpet.  Both had the address of the building written on them. The glass doors with ornate black ironwork were flanked by several large, modern flower pots.  Kurt was sure they would look beautiful in the warmer months.

A doorman stood by the front door, dressed in an impressive dark grey uniform and hat with crisp white gloves.  He was an African American man, much younger than most doorman. He was likely in his early 30’s. He had a great, bright smile, and greeted both boys as they approached, “Good Evening, gentlemen.  How may I assist you?”

Sebastian knew that what he was really asking was why they were there.  He loved the security this building brought. It’s what he wanted for Kurt.  “I’m Sebastian Smythe. This is my boyfriend, Kurt Hummel. We’ll be moving into our penthouse this summer.  We’re here for the weekend so Kurt can have an idea of what to expect this fall when we start school.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet both of you.  My name is Raymond. Please, let me know if I can be of any assistance.”  He shook hands with both boys and then opened the door for them.

“Thank you,”  Both Sebastian and Kurt said at the same time.  

“It was nice meeting you,”  Kurt said as he passed through the door.

“You too, Sir,”  Raymond replied.

As they went inside, Kurt took a moment to look at the lobby.  It’s floors were adorned with extra large black and white tiles that were polished to shine.  There were black, tufted couches flanking both the left and the right walls, with small tables and plants on the ends.  Straight in front of them was a large wooden front desk area that was set back into an alcove. There was lighting above that showed off the glass art that hung on the wall behind it.  Kurt wondered if it was a Chihuly, or if it was simply done in that style. The lobby gave off an old world feel, with modern touches. It was very artsy, and Kurt loved it.

A gentleman dress similarly to Raymond, without the winter coat, stood behind the desk/counter.  Kurt noticed that there were computer monitors with live feed of different areas of the building.  He thought his dad would love that.

“Mr. Smythe?”  The man greeted.  

Sebastian grinned ear to ear, “Hello, George!  Please, call me Sebastian.”

George smiled, “No, Sir.  You are no longer the ‘Sebastian’ I remember.  You are definitely a ‘Mr.’ now. It’s good to see you.”  He shook hands with Seb.

Sebastian chuckled, “You too, George.  How’s your family?”

“Good!  Thank you for asking.  Mildred and I are grandparents now!”  George puffed out his chest and both boys smiled.

“Congratulations to both of you!”  Sebastian turned a bit, putting his hand on Kurt’s back.  “George, this is my boyfriend, Kurt Hummel. He and I will be moving into the penthouse toward the end of the summer.  We’re here for the weekend so I can show Kurt around the neighborhood, and he can see where we will be living.”

George shook Kurt’s hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hummel.”

“You too,”  Kurt smiled, “Please, call me Kurt.”

George chuckled, “We’ll see.”  He turned back to Sebastian, “Mrs. Smythe had a cleaning crew come in this week. Some groceries were delivered as well.   Everything should be all set for you, but please let me know if there is anything you need. Please let me know if you need assistance with reservations or tours, as well.  We would be happy to help.” He smiled at Kurt. Kurt shook his head internally at the thought of Tori hiring a cleaning crew just for their weekend visit.

“Thank you, George.  It was good seeing you again.”  Sebastian smiled, “Give my regards to Mildred, please.”

“Will do, Sir.  It was nice to meet you Mr. Hummel.  I’m sure you will love it here.”

“Thank you,”  Kurt smiled shyly.  “It was nice meeting you, as well.”

 

Kurt followed Sebastian around the corner to the elevators while George pressed the button behind the desk that allows elevator to work.  “You’ll always need to take the elevator on the right. Whoever is at the front desk presses a button that allows us access, and brings the elevator to the lobby if it is not here already.  This elevator is for the top three floors only. All other apartments use the elevator on the left, which does not have access to the top three floors.”

The door to the elevator opened, and the boys stepped inside.  Sebastian continued to explain what he was doing, “You swipe your key card here, and then enter a code on the keypad.  Ours is 7115. That is the only way to get into the living space upstairs. Each of the three homes this elevator is for have different codes, so there is no way for them to access our home, or us theirs.  We’ll get you a key card before the weekend is over.”

“Fancy.”  Kurt grinned,  “My dad will love it.”

Sebastian chuckled, “Yes, he will.”

 

When the doors opened, the boys stepped inside.  Sebastian put his hand on the small of Kurt’s back, “Welcome home, Kurt.”

Kurt’s eyes were wide as he looked around, only moving his head.  He couldn’t seem to move his legs, no matter how hard he tried. “Bas….”

Sebastian smiled, “Do you like it?”

Kurt choked out a laugh at the ridiculous question, “What’s,”  he took a deep breath, reminding himself that this was his reality, “What’s not to like?”  His legs were gaining function again, so he stepped forward a little, looking around as he did.  Sebastian took the bags from his hands, setting them down with his own by the elevator.

The elevator was in a fairly large foyer that had four brick walls. There was a large arched opening in the wall across from the elevator that was nearly the size of the wall itself, leading to the great room. On the right wall, was a solid wood sofa table with a small woven basket, a picture of the Smythe family, and a potted plant.  On the left wall was a large, framed charcoal drawing of the city streets, and a coat tree.

Stepping through the foyer, Kurt saw a two story great room.  The floors were wide-plank dark hardwood. The wall directly across from the foyer was completely brick, and had large windows that nearly went floor to ceiling.  At the bottom of the windows was a set of doors that lead out to a terrace. In the center was a large fireplace with a natural wood mantel. The mantel was adorned with a few vases and pictures of the family.  Above the mantel was large tv.

In front of the fireplace was large wool rug in grey and cream tones.  Two couches in a complimenting cream tone, as well as two brown leather chairs that surrounded a large, square, natural wood coffee table.  There were a couple of end tables in between the couches and chairs. Each couch had a dark green throw pillows and blanket tossed over the back.  To the right of the couches was a grand piano.

Kurt’s eyes widened as he walked into the great room.  He turned to look at Sebastian, who had a small grin watching the love of his life take in the details of their soon-to-be home.  “Bas… This is gorgeous…”

“Just like you,”  Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hand and leaned down, placing a soft kiss to his lips.  “Come on. Keep exploring.” Sebastian gently nudged him to keep walking.

They walked around the couches, as the room continued to the left of the foyer.  Further into the room to was an open kitchen and dining room. There was a large rectangular table that seats six in the middle, with a complimenting rug to the one in front of the fireplace.  Another brick wall had large windows and a serving table/dry bar in between. To the left was a large kitchen with grey-tone cabinets. There was a large island with bar stools on the side by the dining room table.  The island cabinets were a dark shade of grey.  The counters were dark granite, and the state-of-the-art appliances were stainless steel. Everywhere Kurt looked, there was decor that had natural elements to it. Woven baskets, wood picture frames, some plants, driftwood pieces.  It all gave a warmth to the room that seemed to be relaxing against the concrete jungle of the city. The decor was modern in a rustic way, that exudes comfort and livability, yet still fit the city vibe. Kurt was grateful that it didn’t feel like a modern museum that he thought it might.  Not that the Smythe home in Ohio did.

There was a door to the right of the cabinets in the kitchen that opened into a large laundry room.  Inside were cabinets and counter tops along two walls, and Kurt could imagine storing all of his sewing supplies in this room.

Another two doors next to the kitchen revealed a bathroom, and an office.  The office had a large wooden desk with a full wall of shelves behind it. On the side wall was a couch that Sebastian said was a sleeper sofa.  

Back into the great room, Kurt went to the doors that lead to the terrace.  He looked back at Sebastian. “Go ahead, Babe.”

He walked out onto a large terrace that had two couches and two chairs, set up much like the ones inside.  Instead of a coffee table, there was a fire pit table. There were large pots for flowers, and several had perennials in them that Kurt could see had been cut back for the winter.

He walked over to the ledge and looked out at the city.  Looking straight ahead, as well as to the left, he could see amazing city views.  When he looked to the right, he could see Central Park. Sebastian pulled out his phone and took a picture of him looking at the view without Kurt noticing.

When he looked to the right, he noticed that the terrace wrapped around to the front of the building.  When he walked over, he saw a few more plants and chairs, as well as a hot tub tucked in the corner. Kurt’s eyes widened and looked back at Sebastian.  

“It will be nice for you to use after tough dance class days at NYADA.”

“IF I get in.”

“You will,”  Sebastian declared.  Kurt grinned at his boyfriend’s faith in him.  Sebastian said, “Let’s go finish exploring.”

They walked hand in hand back inside.  When they had first entered through the foyer, Kurt had noticed a set of steps to the left.  They lead up to a balcony that stretched around two walls. The railings were a silver metal, and horizontal wires were threaded through the metal slats every five feet or so.  It was very modern up against the brick and wood interior. The boys crossed the great-room to the steps and walked upstairs to explore the bedrooms, with Sebastian leading the way.  “This the master suite, which will be our room if you like it.”

A set of double doors opened to a huge bedroom.  There were skylights above, and large windows on two of the four walls.  Kurt was sure that the entire penthouse was flooded with natural light during the day.  There was a king sized bed in the middle of the far wall, which was brick. The rug under the bed was navy and cream.  The duvet was cream colored, and the sheets were a modern pattern of creams, whites, and greys. The rooms accent color was navy blue, with throw pillows, throw blankets, art, and picture frames using the accent color.  Two different small dressers acted as nightstands. On the left wall, in between the windows, was a door that lead out to another terrace. This one was smaller, but had room for some plants, a small table, and two chairs, with plenty of space to walk around them. It had perfect views of Central Park. On the right wall of the bedroom were two doors.  One was to the walk-in closet that was big enough for both of their clothes, and one was to the master bath. In one of the corners was a large free-standing mirror. The other corner had a navy blue chair with an ottoman, a throw blanket, and a little side table.

The master bath was huge.  It had a large glass shower with a rainfall showerhead, as well as a wall mounted showerhead with detachable sprayer. Next to the shower was a large garden tub. There was a small room with a toilet, and then two sinks that were divided by a vanity.  

Kurt turned to Sebastian, “Did our plane crash, and all of this is just a dream...or dare I say...Heaven?  Was I wrong about the whole God thing?”

Sebastian chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Kurt’s waist.  “Well, I do think you’re wrong about the whole God thing, but, no, this isn’t a dream.  It does feel like Heaven, though...Being here with you.”

Kurt leaned up and kissed Sebastian.  “It does.”

The boys explored the other two bedrooms.  They were not huge like the master bedroom, but for New York, they were gigantic.  The first guest bedroom was most likely Leah’s room when they stayed. It had the brick wall and natural, modern color palette, but splashes of deep purple throughout.  Kurt wouldn’t have changed a thing. The attached bathroom was not extravagant like in the master bath, but very nice.

In between the two guest bedrooms was a seating area with a desk.  Kurt imagined it would have been perfect for homework if Sebastian had lived there during high school.

The second guest bedroom was similar, but with splashes of a deep red color. “Was this your room when you guys stayed here?”

“It was,”  Sebastian grinned. “Let’s go down and sit for awhile.”

The boys went down and sat on one of the couches.  Sebastian turned toward Kurt, grabbing one of his hands, “What are you thinking?”

Kurt had a small, almost shy smile, “I mean, I feel like I don’t deserve any of this.  But if this is where you are going to be, then it’s where I want to be.”

“I said this is where we are going to stay because I want the best for you, Babe.  You do deserve it. I want the best security, the best amount of space, the best location.  This place can give us all of that, and my family already owns it. To me it’s a no brainer.”  He rubbed Kurt’s knuckles. It was an action he did a lot, but without even thinking about it. “My mom told me about the talk they had with you on Wednesday.  I agree 100%. So now that you have seen the place, is there anything that sticks out to you that you would change, or want to add?”

Kurt sat and thought for a minute.  “Well, I’d like to add some pictures of my own.  You know, family pictures. I actually love the decor here.  I was expecting it to be more...starkly modern? You know, not as comfortable feeling.  I wouldn’t change any of that. I love the artwork, even the knickknacks.”

“So you want to add some pictures, which to me is obvious.  We could even use some of the frames that are already here. We can keep some of them of my family, add some of your family, and then some of us.  Really, we’re one family anyway. To me, at least.”

“Me too,”  Kurt said as he leaned forward and kissed Sebastian.  

“Anything else?”

“Mmm, yes.”

Sebastian grinned, “What’s that?”

“A coffee machine in the bedroom.  Maybe like a little coffee cart. That way, we could roll out of bed, grab a cup of coffee, and sit out on the terrace and watch Central Park in the morning.”

Seb kissed Kurt on the forehead, “Done.  You’re a genius.” Kurt smiled. Sebastian said, “Okay.  Let’s do a quick building tour, and then we’ll go grab a bite to eat.”

“Building tour?”

“Yep.  There’s a conference room, pool, and gym.  Kind of like a hotel.”

Kurt’s eyes were wide again, “Wow.  I had no idea.”

“I know.  I didn’t want to overwhelm you.”  Sebastian squeezed his hand.

Kurt leaned against the back of the couch, looking at Seb, “I love you so much.”

Sebastian leaned over and kissed him, “I love you, too, Babe.  And my mom was right. This is your home now too. This isn’t my couch, it’s ours. That’s not my kitchen, it’s ours. I want you to feel comfortable here.”

“I mean, I’m sure it will take a little getting used to.  But, I feel comfortable anywhere you are. I think it’s going to take me more time getting used to the George and Raymond.  I’m not used to that.”

“You’ll get used to them.  And the others. George works in the afternoon and evenings.  I’m sure Raymond has the same hours. But there’s also others during different shifts.  Plus others that aren’t as visible. Often, there are two people behind the desk in the lobby.  We’ll all learn each other's names soon enough.” He stood, reaching out a hand to help Kurt up, “Let’s use the restroom and freshen up.  I’ll take the bags upstairs.” Sebastian took the two suitcases up to the master bedroom, but left the carry-ons. Kurt grabbed the carry-ons and followed.  

A few minutes later, Sebastian got a text.

**To Sebastian:**

Make sure that kid of mine takes pictures.  I’m sure he’s too excited to remember my request.

**To Burt:**

Will do.  Headed out to dinner in a minute, but here is a pic I snuck of the first time Kurt looked out at the city from the terrace of the penthouse.

 

Sebastian attached the picture.  

Burt looked at the picture and smiled as he shook his head.  Kurt looked so happy. And the fact that Sebastian recognized this magical moment, and thought to capture it, warmed his heart.  

 

A little while later, both boys were touring the building.  After they left the pool area, they headed for the front door.  Raymond opened, “Have a nice evening, gentlemen.”

“Thanks, Raymond.”  Sebastian smiled.

They walked a couple of blocks to a cafe that Sebastian remembered liking.  On the way there, Kurt watched peoples faces as he and Sebastian walked past holding hands.  No one seemed to care, or even notice, for that matter. It was a far cry from Lima, Ohio. He wasn’t fooling himself into thinking that everyone here accepted them.  But seeing two men holding hands was something that they saw often. Whereas, in Lima, if it was seen, it was because it was Kurt and Sebastian pushing their luck.

The boys sat in the cafe talking about what the neighborhood had to offer.  Sebastian said, “Upper East Side is mostly families. A lot of celebrities live there.  Whereas, Upper West Side is a bit trendier. It has a lot of people in their 20s and 30s, a lot of artists, and young entrepreneurs.  It has more shops and restaurants.”

Kurt nodded.  He quietly said, “Tori said the penthouse had been in your dad’s family since the building was built.  You weren’t kidding when you said ‘old money’.”

Sebastian snorted, “Nope.  It’s been remodeled a couple of times that I know of.  Maybe even more. Once in the 90s, and then Aunt Charlotte remodeled before she moved in.   Mom updated it some too, knowing I wanted to go to Columbia like Dad and Grandpa.”

Kurt nodded, “Charlotte had excellent taste.  So does your mom.”

Sebastian said, “She did.  Charlotte, I mean. You should see what she did with the home on Paris.  In fact, I wanted to talk to you about that.” Kurt frowned in confusion, but Seb continued, “I’d like to go to Paris this summer.  With you, of course. I’d like you to get a passport, if you don’t have one already.” Kurt just sat there, looking at Sebastian. He said nothing.  “Babe?... Too much?”

After a minute of silence, Kurt said, “I’m a bit overwhelmed.  I’m trying to wrap my head around New York, and living in such a luxurious place, and now you’re talking Paris?”

Sebastian looked regretful, “I’m sorry.  I should have known it was too much.” There was an awkward silence for a minute, and then Sebastian said, “I’m going to sound like a spoiled brat for saying this, most likely, but I guess I didn’t think about how you would react because, to me, it’s all so normal.  These places are all homes that I grew up in. The penthouse, the estates in both Ohio and in Paris, the beach house. They are all home to me.”

“There’s a beach house?”  Kurt raised his eyebrows.

Sebastian blushed a bit, “Yes.  Remember… Both sides own properties...And the same goes for Disney.  We grew up going there several times a year. That’s why my family became DVC members.   It’s like a home away from home too. I know I sound so spoiled, but to me it’s my normal.  I think, at least I hope, that my parents raised me to not act spoiled… But it’s me. And I want to share all of that with you.  I want to spend my life with you, Kurt.  So to me, wanting to take you to all of my childhood homes, just feels natural.”

“And it should.  I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking of it that way.  And no, I do not think you act like a spoiled brat.  A spoiled brat couldn’t hang out with McKinley kids the same way they do with Dalton kids.  In fact, if I didn’t know what kind of home your family lived in, or know my designer labels, I wouldn’t have guessed any of you even have money.”

Sebastian frowned a bit, “What do you mean?”

Kurt shrugged, “I mean, none of you act rich and snotty.  Why do you think Puck feels so uncomfortable at Dalton? It’s not just the clothes and mohawk.  He wouldn’t fit in with most people there. The Warblers have been incredibly accepting of our McKinley friends.  I’m betting not everyone at Dalton would be so accepting. Anyway, your parents didn’t think twice about Puck being in their home.  Or the fact that Sam was homeless, and is now dating their daughter. Bas, that is not typical of most wealthy families. You have to know that.  Especially families that come from old money.”

Seb nodded, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.  I’m glad you don’t think I act like a brat.”  He smirked.

Kurt smiled, “Do you think my family would have been okay with me dating a brat after you-know-who?”

“Okay, I guess not.”  Sebastian said. “So. Maybe we talk about Paris another time?”

“I’ll tell you what.  I’ll get my passport. Other than that, give me some time for all of this to sink in.”  Kurt reached over and grabbed Sebastian’s hand. “I would like nothing more than to see Paris with you.  I just need to let New York sink in for a couple of weeks before I can think of anything else. And then, there’s Disney.  So, just give me some time?”

“Of course, Baby.  I’m sorry.” Sebastian leaned over and kissed Kurt on the forehead.

“No, Bas.  No need to be sorry. _I’m_ sorry for flipping out for a minute there.  I think we need to go back and go to bed soon.  I’m just really tired.”

Sebastian squeezed Kurt’s hand, “Sure.  We’ll go home, get ready for bed, and snuggle.  There is one more thing I want to talk about tonight though.  Do you want to talk now, or wait until we’re home?”

“Wait until we’re home.”  As if on cue, Kurt hid a yawn.  

Sebastian chuckled, “Okay.”

 

They walked back as quickly as possible.  It was incredibly cold outside. When they reached the lobby, Raymond opened the door for them, “Welcome home, Mr. Smythe.  Mr. Hummel.”

Kurt smiled, and Sebastian said, “Thank you, Raymond.”

As they approached the front desk, George greeted them as well, “Welcome back, Mr. Smythe, Mr. Hummel.”  

“Thanks, George.  Can we set a meeting for the morning?  I’d like to clear everything before we leave, and really, the sooner the better.”

“Absolutely, Mr. Smythe.”  George looked at his computer screen and typed a few things in.  Does 9 tomorrow morning sound okay?”

“It does.  Thank you, George.”

“My pleasure, Sir.  Have a good night.”

“You too.”

Sebastian and Kurt made their way to the elevator and waited, hand in hand.  As they stepped inside and made their way up, Kurt said, “I know I have to get used to it, but I don’t like when other people call you ‘Sir’.”

Sebastian smiled and wrapped his arms around Kurt, “I’m only your ‘Sir’, no matter what anyone calls me.  Only yours. Always yours.”

Kurt smiled and laid his head on Sabastian’s chest.

Downstairs, George watched them on the security video as they made their way up.  He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he could see their love. He was happy for Sebastian.  

 

Once they walked inside, Sebastian suggested showers before they talked.  Kurt agreed, and showered first. He was instantly in love with the rainfall showerhead.  

Kurt was sitting up in bed, texting his dad when Sebastian walked out of the shower.  He put his phone on the nightstand to charge, and watched Sebastian get dressed for bed.  He couldn’t believe how sexy Seb was. He was so incredibly lucky.

Once Sebastian crawled in bed, he turned to Kurt and began to speak, “Okay.  So, this meeting that set up for tomorrow morning is to get all the security issues squared away.”  Kurt looked a bit confused, but didn’t ask anything, so he continued, “We both need to have our pictures taken.  In the staff office area they have a board that has a picture of each resident, along with their name, that coordinates with the apartment number.”

Kurt interrupted, “Wait, what number are we?”

“Well, our address will have the building number on it, but the penthouse is number 1.  So, during this meeting, we’ll have our pictures taken, we’ll get you your key, and then we need to sit and talk to them about our wishes.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I mean, we get to decide who is allowed up here, and who is not.   For example, my family is already listed as approved residents. We can’t technically change that, because they own it. Of course, they would never just come up without permission.  In the future, it may be a situation like Puck or Sugar needing to come over and water the flowers or something. They would be put on a list of approved people. For now, I think it just needs to be us.”

“I agree,”  Kurt said, looking at Sebastian, knowing that more was coming.

“It’s the list of ‘Do NOT allow’ that we need to talk about.  Part of the security of this building is that the staff can be made aware of who is NOT allowed up.  Most people just have the ‘approved list’, but the ‘not approved list’ is also an option, and we are taking it.  I won’t budge on this.  Your safety is my number one concern.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt heard Sebastian’s tone change as he spoke.  Kurt knew this was really important to Sebastian.  No matter how uncomfortable it made him, he wouldn’t argue.

“Good.  So tomorrow at the meeting, we will give them a list of names and pictures of anyone who they need to be aware of, no matter how unlikely it is that they will be in New York.  We will add Blaine, David, and Rick to the list. I will find pictures online tomorrow, and print them off in the office downstairs. Is there anyone else you want added to the list?  We can add people at any time.”

“No.  Do we have to tell them the story behind each person?”

“Not fully, no.  I want them to know a little bit about each person, though.”  Sebastian raised his arm and Kurt scooted over and laid his head on Seb’s chest as Seb wrapped his arm around Kurt.  

“Okay.  I can handle that.”  

“Good.  Goodnight, Baby.  I love you.” Sebastian kissed the top of Kurt’s head.

“I love you, too, Bas.  Goodnight.”


	45. New York Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seb makes sure he does everything he needs to to make the building as secure as possible for Kurt.  
> Some New York shopping and then Broadway, Baby.  
> Even in New York, it can be a small world, and the boys run in to someone they know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully the link I added in the story works. If you haven't heard Grant (Sebastian) sing Running Home To You, from his TV show, The Flash, do yourself a favor, and click the link! So beautiful! Also, if you ignored me before and didn't look up Grant Gustin's instagram ... Do it!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who comments. It literally keeps me writing. PLEASE comment or leave Kudos if you haven't already.  
> Love you all! Thanks for sticking with me!
> 
> PS, What do you think? Will Seb go to med school, or try his hand at journalism/writing?

 

When Kurt woke up, he was snuggled into Sebastian’s arms.  He took a minute to soak up the warmth of his boyfriend. He looked up at Sebastian’s sleeping face and thanked the universe for this man.  He always felt so loved and protected with Sebastian, and in his arms was his favorite place to be.

Sebastian began to stir, and Kurt watched as he woke.  When he opened his eyes, he looked down at Kurt. He smiled, “Good morning, Beautiful.”

“Morning, Bas,”  Kurt whispered.

“How did you sleep?”   Sebastian tightened his grip on Kurt.

“Mmm,”  Kurt closed his eyes and squeezed back, “Great.  I’m not sure I’ve ever slept in a more comfortable bed.”

“Good,”  He kissed the top of Kurt’s head.  “Why don’t you go ahead and get ready.  I’m going to go down to the office and find some pictures to print out.  When I’m finished, I’ll start breakfast.”

“Okay.  But if I finish first, I’m starting breakfast.”

Sebastian smiled, “Deal.”

Kurt got up, grabbed what he needed from his bag, and headed into the master bathroom.  Sebastian watched him go, and then headed downstairs. After using the restroom downstairs, he headed into the office and turned the computer on.  It felt a bit odd sitting in what he still considered his dad’s office chair, but he liked it. He was ready to be here on his own, and begin their adult lives.  

Once the computer powered up, Sebastian found a mugshot of Blaine.  His hair was free from gel in the picture, and he looked so different from the guy he met at Dalton.  He downloaded the picture, and then searched for another picture of him with his hair gelled. That way, if he showed up, the staff would know what he looks like both ways.  He checked Blaine’s social media accounts, but they had all been taken down or were set to private still. He found an old picture of the Warblers that had Blaine in it, so he cropped that and downloaded it.  

Next, he searched for David and Rick.  David had private settings on all of his social media as well, but he was able to find a picture of David in an old newspaper article about McKinley’s football team.  He downloaded it and then moved on to Rick. Rick’s Facebook privacy setting was public, so Sebastian found a picture that he thought showed his face the best, and downloaded it.  

Sebastian searched in the cabinet below the printer and found some photo paper.  He loaded it into the printer, and printed out the four pictures he had downloaded.  Once he was finished, he powered off the computer, and sat for a minute looking at the pictures.  He couldn’t stand the people he was looking at. His stomach twisted at the thought of what these guys had done to his Kurt.  

He was shaken from his thoughts when he heard Kurt coming down the steps.  He left the pictures on the desk and headed out to the kitchen, “You look handsome.”  

Kurt smiled, “Thank you.  Why don’t you go get ready, and I’ll start breakfast and coffee.”

“Sounds good.  I’ll try to be fast.”  Sebastian kissed Kurt on the cheek, and then went upstairs to get ready.  

Kurt searched through the cabinets and the refrigerator to see what was available.  He put on a pot of coffee, and then decided to make pancakes.

When Sebastian came back downstairs a while later, Kurt was just finishing up plating the pancakes.  When he saw Sebastian, he grabbed another mug and poured him some coffee.

“Thanks,”  Seb said as Kurt handed it to him.  He got in the refrigerator and got out some hazelnut creamer and added it to his coffee, then sat a the island stools with his plate.  “Thanks for making breakfast. Did you find everything okay?”

Kurt nodded as sipped his coffee, “Yeah.  The kitchen flows nicely. I think I’m going to like cooking in here.”

Sebastian smiled, “Well, as much as I love your cooking, we’re going to share that task.”

“Mhmm,”  Kurt finished is bite and then asked, “I was thinking.  What if there’s a fire or something? How do we get out if we can’t get to the elevator?”

“In the far left corner of the terrace, probably behind a planter or something, there’s a ladder that leads down to the fire escape.  It has a hinged set of bars, kind of like a door, at the bottom. You can push through it on the way down the ladder, but nobody can pull it open to climb up, if that makes sense.  It only works in one direction. There’s also a door in the laundry room that leads to a single stairwell. We keep in locked. It’s only accessible from the offices down in the lobby.”

“Okay, good to know.”

“Hey, when we’re done, I’ll clean up the dishes.  You need to take at least a couple of pictures to text your dad.  He texted me last night asking me to remind you.”

Kurt chuckled at the thought of his dad texting Seb a reminder instead of him.  He was so glad his dad loved Sebastian. “Alright.”

 

When they finished, Sebastian rinsed the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.  Kurt took a picture of the great room, master bedroom, and terrace. He texted them to his dad.  He then took a picture of the kitchen with Sebastian at the sink. He labeled it ‘my dream kitchen with my dream guy’ and sent off the text.  

Only minutes later, he got a response.

**To Kurt:**

Holy cow, Bud!  That’s a super nice place!

**To Dad:**

Can’t wait for you to see it in person.  Pictures don’t do it justice. Headed down to meet with staff about security now.  You’ll be happy when I tell you about the security features.

**To Kurt:**

Good.  It’s my favorite part.  Have a good time, Kiddo.  Love you. Give our love to Seb.

**To Dad:**

Love you too.  

 

“Ready, Babe?  I thought we could go to the meeting and then come back up before deciding what to do for the day.  Sound good?”

“Sure.  I’d rather not have my coat for the meeting, so that works.”  

Sebastian went into the office, put the photos into an empty file folder, and came back out.  “Ready?” he asked as he held his hand out for Kurt, which Kurt quickly grabbed.

“Ready,”  Kurt said.  

Sebastian could tell Kurt was a bit tense. He squeezed his hand, “It’ll be okay.”  Kurt simply nodded in response.

 

Once in the lobby, the boys were greeted by Pablo at the front desk.  “Good morning, gentlemen. Mr. Smythe, it’s good to see you again. It’s been a long time.”  Pablo was a Latino man in his late 40's. He had a very fatherly vibe about him. His kind eyes and warm smile were very welcoming.

Sebastian said, “It’s good to see you too, Pablo.  We were with family in Paris for a few years. It made New York visits a bit trickier.”  He turned toward Kurt, placing his hand on the small of his back, “Pablo, this is my boyfriend, Kurt Hummel.  He and I will be moving into the penthouse this summer.”

Pablo shook Kurt’s hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hummel.”

Kurt smiled, “You too, Pablo.”  

Pablo smiled and looked back to Sebastian, “I understand you have an appointment with Mr. Carmack. You can go on back whenever you are ready.”

“Thank you, Pablo.”  Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hand again, leading him down a hall.  He stopped at a door labeled “security” and knocked.

“Come in”  a voice said from behind the door.

Sebastian stepped inside, and Mr. Carmack stood from his desk.  “Mr. Smythe,” He said as he offered his hand to Sebastian, “I suppose it’s been a long time, since a man is standing in front of me, and not a boy.”

Sebastian smiled as he nodded, “Yes, nearly four years will do that, I suppose.  Mr. Carmack,” He turned to Kurt, “This is my boyfriend, Kurt Hummel. He and I will be moving in this summer.”

Mr. Carmack shook Kurt’s hand as they exchanged pleasantries.  

“So, I’m assuming you’re here to have your pictures taken, as well as getting an additional key for the elevator?”

“Yes.  But unfortunately, we do have some security issues that we would like to discuss.”  

“Absolutely.  Let’s take the pictures first, so I can print them while we talk.”  They quickly took the pictures and Mr. Carmack printed them. He leaned back in the seat a bit, “Well, Mr. Smythe, you know how seriously we take the safety of our residences.  What can I do for you?”

Sebastian put the file folder on the desk and opened it, “We need the staff to be aware of these three men.  I’m assuming you still hang the pictures in the staff break room?”

“We do,”  Mr. Carmack said as he got out some half sheets of paper and double sided tape.  “You tell me the names and concerns, and I will attach the picture to these papers with the concerns so I can hang them as soon as this meeting is over.”

Sebatian started with David’s picture, handing it to Mr. Carmack, “This is Dave Karofsky.  We both have restraining orders out against him. He stalked us. He also assaulted Kurt, and threatened his life.  I wrote their names on the back of each picture, so you can see the proper spelling.”

Mr. Carmack took the picture with a raised eyebrow, “That’s some serious stuff.”

“Just wait,”  Sebastian sighed.  He gave Mr. Carmack a few minutes to write what he needed to, and attach the picture.  He handed him a picture of Rick, “This is Rick Nelson. He also threatened Kurt’s life.”

Mr. Carmack frowned and looked at Kurt.  Kurt felt like he needed to say something, “I was openly gay in a public school in small town Ohio.  It’s a problem.”

Mr. Carmack shook his head in disbelief as he wrote what he needed on the paper and attached the picture.  

Sebastian handed him the final two pictures, “This is Blaine Anderson, with and without his hair gelled.  I thought he looked so different with the change of hair product, that you needed to see both. He’s Kurt’s ex, and he’s very violent.  He’s currently doing 5 years in prison for assault and attempted rape, with Kurt being the victim. I want you to post his pictures in case of early parole.  It’s unlikely, but I want to cover all of our bases. We’ll likely still be living here when he is released, too.”

“Absolutely,”  He took the pictures, taped them, and wrote what he needed to.  He looked at Kurt, “Mr. Hummel, do you have any concerns about the building or the security?  Can I answer any questions?”

“Well, my father is Congressman, and I’m sure you know Robert is a state’s attorney for Ohio.  Privacy is very important to us. I’m assuming information about those three,” he nodded toward the pictures, “as well as anything else, is kept confidential?”

“100% Mr. Hummel.  Confidentiality is part of an agreement all employees sign when they sign their contracts.  Breach of that will result in termination of the employee.”

“Thank you, Mr. Carmack,”  Kurt nodded.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll find living here very comfortable, and very safe.  If there are ever any concerns, please feel free to see me. That’s my job.  And may I say, I think you’ll find the level of tolerance in New York very refreshing.”

“That’s my hope,”  Kurt grinned.

Mr. Carmack gave Kurt his key, and both boys a copy of the building rules and guidelines.   The boys said their goodbyes and their thank yous and headed back upstairs. Once the doors opened to the penthouse, Sebastian pulled Kurt out into the great room, and wrapped his arms around him.  “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.  It was something that had to be done.  Thank you for taking care of the pictures.”

“You’re welcome , Babe.” He bent down and kissed Kurt gently, “Do you want to be touristy today?  Maybe go to Times Square, or the Statue of Liberty? I have a surprise for tonight, so we need to be back here around 5:30 to get ready.”

“Ooohh, a surprise,”  Kurt kissed Seb again, “I think Times Square would be fun.  That way we can duck in and out of shops. It’s too cold to stay outside for long, so the Statue of Liberty is something I’d rather do this summer.  Or we could do a museum.”

“I have an idea.  Why don’t you choose some pictures from your social media, or your phone, and we can have them printed at Walgreen's.  It’s better quality than our home printer. Then when we go out, if you see a boutique or a shop at Times Square, you can look for frames for them.”

“Good idea!  I only want to print a few. I want to take some group pictures when we get back.”

“Sounds good, Babe.”  Sebastian kissed Kurt’s forehead and finally let go of Kurt.  I’m going to pull up the website. You can send me the pics you choose, and I’ll upload them and place the order.”  He was walking toward the office as he spoke.

“M’kay.”  Kurt plopped down on a couch and started scrolling through his pictures and chose a couple.  Sebastian did the same on the office computer. Once Kurt had sent him his choices, Sebastian uploaded the images and then went out to sit with Kurt.  

 

Seb pulled Kurt up against him and nuzzled against Kurt’s neck.  “I love you, Baby.”

“Mmm.  I love you, too.  So much.” Kurt turned and kissed Sebastian softly.  A minute of kissing turned a little more heated, and soon, it turned into a full on make-out session.

Kurt pushed Sebastian back and crawled on top of him, never breaking the kiss.  Sebastian spread his legs, allowing Kurt to lay on top of him. Kurt was grinding against Sebastian slowly as he kissed down his neck, both boys groaning at the contact.  Seb reached around grabbing Kurt’s ass. “We can wait a while to go out. Mmmm...Baby… Let’s ...Let’s go upstairs.”

Kurt sucked and pulled Sebastian’s earlobe between his teeth one more time before whispering, “Yes, Sir.”

 

An hour later, the boys were on their way out the door.  Kurt turned to Sebastian in the elevator, “I have to say...One of my favorite things about the penthouse is that I don’t have to keep quiet.  You can make me scream all you want.”

Sebastian smirked, “And I plan on doing that often.  Hearing the noises you make, Babe, mmm, I could get off on just that alone.”

Kurt chuckled and leaned up to kiss Seb on the cheek.  

 

On the way out the door, Pablo introduced the boys to the day shift doorman, Gregory.  

“Gregory, it’s been a long time,”  Sebastian smiled as he shook Gregory’s hand.  

“It has, Sir.  You seem to have grown into a fine young man.  I look forward to being able to see you more often.”  He turned to Kurt, “Mr. Hummel, it was a pleasure meeting you.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Gregory.”

 

The boys made their way to the subway, where Kurt grabbed Sebastian’s hand a little tighter when the crowds became thicker.  As they rode South to Times Square, Kurt leaned over and whispered to Sebastian, “People watching in New York is much more fun.  I think this could become a serious pastime of mine.”

Seb chuckled, “It’s definitely entertaining.”

The boys starting making up stories about different passengers on the train, quietly whispering as they spoke.  Their laughter, however, was not so quiet.

“See that woman in the hat down at the end?”  Kurt began, as Sebastian looked down toward the woman. “She’s the ‘women in the yellow hat’.  She’s Curious George’s aunt. She’s here visiting from Canada, where she takes part in animal testing, unbeknownst to George.  When George finds out, the shit’s gonna fly. Literally, since he’s a monkey.”  Sebastian threw his head back and laughed. It was Kurt’s favorite of Seb’s laughs, since it showed off his long, sexy neck.

Once they arrived at their stop they stood to exit, hand in hand.  A man in his 20’s, who looked big and burly, smiled at them as he said, “You two are cute together.”  

Kurt was stunned for a second.  This guy looked like the type of guy, who in Lima, would have called him ‘fag’ or maybe worse.  Sebastian smiled, and Kurt said, “Thanks” as he smiled back.

They walked around Times Square for a minute and Kurt stopped.  He turned in a complete circled before taking Sebastian’s hand again, “I can’t believe I’m here.  Finally. And I can’t believe I get to be here with you, Bas.”

Sebastian smiled as he leaned over and kissed Kurt on the cheek,  “I’m so lucky to get to share this with you.”

They shopped around in different stores.  Kurt told himself that he was going to have to make a serious budget for himself once they moved here.  He could lose all self control in some of these stores. They ended up buying a frame in a store called Delphinium Home, and another at Homebody Boutique.

After a couple of hours, they were both hungry, so they decided to get a late lunch before heading home to get ready for Sebastian’s surprise.  They ate at a nice little bistro a couple of blocks from Times Square, and then headed home.

On their way back home from the subway, they made a pit-stop at Walgreen's and picked up the pictures that had printed.  

Once they were lounging comfortably in the great room, Kurt asked, “What pictures did you choose to print?”

“Hold on, I’ll show you,”  Sebastian got up and grabbed the envelope with the pictures, handing it to Kurt.

Kurt opened it and flipped through it, “When did you take this?”  It was the picture of him out on the terrace, looking at the city.  

“Last night.  I couldn’t resist.  You looked so beautiful looking out at the city we’ll call home.”  Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s arm as he spoke.

Kurt looked up and kissed him, “I like it.”  He flipped through the pictures ,”The one from the Lima Bean...”

Sebastian smiled, “Yep.  Best view in all of Lima.  You sitting there in your uniform, sipping your coffee as you stared at the fire.  It’s also that very spot that we first said ‘I love you’ to each other. And the coffee shop is where we met. It will always be special.”

Kurt laid his head on Seb’s shoulder, “You’re so sweet.”  He looked at the picture again, “We should take a picture of us outside the Lima Bean.  I want to make a photo album, or a scrapbook if I’m ambitious, of our journey together. Maybe even one of those hardback photo books that you create online and they mail it to you.  We can show it to our kids and grandkids one day.” Kurt jerked back a few seconds later, “Do you want kids?! Oh my god, am I forgetting? Have we had this conversation?!”

“Baby, calm down,”  Sebastian reached for Kurt’s hand, “We’ve briefly mentioned kids here and there, but never sat down and talked about it.  Yes, I would love kids. I’m assuming from that reaction, that you do too?”

Kurt took a deep breath, “Yeah, I do.  I’ve always wanted kids. I want to make something of myself first, but, yes… definitely kids.”

“Good.  Then we’re on the same page.”  He kissed Kurt, “We can put the pictures in frames later.  Let’s get ready. Wear your suit.”

 

When they were ready to go and making their way out onto the city sidewalks, Kurt said,  “You look so hot, Bas. Like, really, _really_ hot.”

Sebastian chuckled, “Thanks, Babe.  Have you looked in a mirror, though?  You look amazing. Like a model.”

Kurt shook his head.  “Thanks,” he whispered.

When they got on the subway, they continued their game of making up stories about other people on their train.  When they got to their destination, Sebastian stood, offering his hand to Kurt, which Kurt quickly took. As they exited, Kurt saw the sign that said ‘Broadway’.

“Bas, are we going to see a play?”

Sebastian smirked, “Yep!”  he popped the ‘p’ on the end.

Kurt got excited, “What play?!”

Seb looked at Kurt and smiled, “Lion King!”

Kurt bounced as he walked, “Oh my god!  How did you get tickets so last minute!?”

“I got them a couple of weeks ago.  I didn’t think I was going to be able to get them for tonight, so I didn’t say anything.”

Kurt leaned into Seb’s side, “Thank you, Bas.  This is so exciting.”

 

They reached the theater and saw the marque lit up in yellow and black with the Lion King logo.  The boys turned their backs to it and took a selfie with it behind them. They made their way to will call and picked up their tickets before leaving their coats at the coat check.  

They found their seats, which were actually really good seats for getting the tickets so last minute.  They sat and looked around the theater. Sebastian nodded toward the stage, “You’ll be up there one day, Babe.”

Kurt smiled, “We’ll see.”  

They sat and looked through their Playbills as they waited.  

 

Once the play started, they couldn’t take their eyes off the stage. Kurt was in a trance.  The set was beautiful, and intricately designed to move and change. The costuming was gorgeous, and Kurt longed to touch some of it.  The little tricks that made things like puppetry work were fascinating. Kurt was amazed. It took everything he had in him not to sing along.  He was literally biting his lip. His eyes lit up as ‘animals’ came down the aisle, and ‘birds’ flew above their heads. It was magical.

 

At intermission, the boys stood and stretched.  They walked to the aisle to let people in their row out, but returned to their seats immediately after.  They were discussing the play and what they liked best about it, when they heard, “Kurt? Sebastian?”

Both boys looked confused for a second until it dawned on Kurt, “Ben?”

Realization hit Sebastian too, and he smiled, “Ben Sanders?”  

Ben Sanders played Angel in the production of _RENT_ that the boys had seen in Cincinnati.  He was one of the casts that they had exchanged Twitter handles with.  He was also part of the group that had sent Kurt flowers when he was in the hospital.

Ben was standing two rows in front of them.  He laughed, “Yeah!” Just then, the lights flickered, signaling that intermission was coming to an end.  He turned to the man next to him, then back to Kurt and Sebastian, “This is my boyfriend, Ty. Ty, this is Kurt and Sebastian.”  He gestured to each boy.

Ty smiled, “From the Cincinnati show?”

They all smiled. “Yeah!” Ben answered.  The auditorium was nearly full again, so Ben said, “Hey, can you two meet us out in the lobby after the show?”

Kurt looked to Sebastian, who nodded.  Kurt answered, “Yeah, that would be great!”

“Great!  I’ll see you then,”  Ben smiled, then he and Ty took their seats.

“Small world,”  Kurt whispered to Sebastian.  

 

The second half of Lion King was just as amazing as the first half.  The boys loved it.

“That was beautiful.  I have goosebumps!” Kurt said as the lights came up.  

“It really was beautiful.  I would love to know how it all works.”

 

The boys waited for Ben and Ty in the lobby.  They stood off to the side, and Sebastian had his arm around Kurt’s waist.  Kurt gently leaned into him. Ty spotted them first, turning to tell Ben and then grabbing his hand and leading him over to the boys.

Ben went in for hugs, and Ty shook both of their hands.  

Ty was a handsome, tall, African American man.  He had a slender, yet muscular build, a shaved head, and very prominent dimples when he smiled.  Kurt thought he was adorably handsome.

Ben was about Kurt’s height, with a similar build.  He was Latino, with thick black hair that he kept short.  He had a neatly trimmed beard, which was an addition since they last saw Ben, for obvious reasons.

“Thank you for the flowers, Ben.  That was very kind of all of you.”  Kurt shyly smiled.

“You’re welcome.  Can I ask what happened?  It wasn’t your ex was it?”

Kurt looked around and saw an empty nook, away from the exiting crowds,  that had a couple of benches. He motioned to them, so they all silently went over, but they stayed standing.

“No, it wasn’t my ex.  He’s in prison for the next 4 and a half years.  Really long story short, I stopped a guy that had been messing with us from raping my best friend.  He slammed my head against the wall and knocked me out.”

Sebastian was rubbing Kurt’s back, “Kurt didn’t wake up for about 20 hours.  Longest 20 hours of my life.”

“Shit,”  Ty said. “Ben told me about what happened before.  Although I’m sure it was only the basic details. I’m really sorry.”

“Yeah, me too.  So your friend is okay?”  Ben asked.

“She is.  He had choked her, so she was bruised, including her vocal cords, and she had a concussion.  But she’s recovering nicely.” Kurt answered.

“And you?”  Ben asked.

“I’m doing okay,”  Kurt nodded.

Ben asked, “So is this guy in jail now too?”

Kurt looked at Sebastian, so Seb answered, “No.  Um, another long story short, he ran. Tried attacking my sister, who was part of how this whole thing started.  He was unsuccessful, thankfully. He ran again, but was pulled over and there was a car chase. He stopped at bridge, got out, and jumped.”

Ben and Ty both had wide eyes, and concerned looks, “Did he…?”

Both boys nodded.

Sebastian took a deep breath, “And then Kurt was confronted again when he made it back to school.  This time by a guy who has bullied him before for being gay. He threatened Kurt’s life. So now, Kurt goes to school with me at Dalton.”

Ben and Ty didn’t say anything, but Ben stepped over and pulled Kurt into a big hug.  

“I’m okay,”  Kurt grinned softly.

Ben sighed, “Okay.  Enough with the bad stuff.  What brings you two to New York?”

Sebastian said, “We’re here checking out where we’ll be living this fall for school.  My family already owns a place here, so that’s where we’ll be staying.  Kurt has never been here, so I’m showing him the neighborhood.”

“Fun!  What neighborhood?  Where will you go to school?”  Ty asked.

“Upper West Side.  I’m hoping for Columbia.”

“And I’m hoping for NYADA, Parsons or FIT.  I haven’t decided. Either way, we’re coming to New York.”

Ty frowned, “Wait.  You might not perform?  I saw those videos from Cincinnati.  AND I saw the video of your National Cheer win.  Congrats, by the way.”

Kurt smiled, “Thanks.  I do love performing. But I also love fashion and designing. We’ll see where I’m accepted, then I’ll decide.”

Ben looked around and noticed most people had left the lobby, then turned to Kurt,  “Okay, so we’re here tonight to see our friend Natalie, who just joined the ensemble.  We’re going out to eat as soon as she’s ready. Want to come? She’d be excited to finally meet you.”

“To meet me?”  Kurt frowned.

Ty smiled, and Ben nodded, “Yeah!  Both of you actually. She fell in love with you two love birds back when I showed her the video in December.  But she wouldn’t shut up about your Nationals video either. You do know Adam Lambert tweeted about you, right?  She’s a huge Lambert fan.”

Kurt blushed and Sebastian beamed, “Yeah, I know.”

Sebastian smiled, “If you’re up for it, Babe, so am I.”

“I think that would be great!”  Kurt smiled.

“Alright, lets go get our coats and then we’ll meet her at the side door.  I’ll text her we’re ready.”

 

They went to grab their coats and stopped on the way to take a picture with a cast member who was in the lobby still dressed in costume to take pictures with people.  Kurt instantly thought that picture was going to need to be included in the photo album. Once they had their coats, they went outside and waited.

Just a couple of minutes later, Ben’s face lit up, “Nat!  You were amazing!” He hugged her tightly.

Ty hugged her too, “That was fantastic, Natalie.  Really.”

“Thanks, guys!”  Natalie was smiling ear to ear.  She was a young, African American woman with tight, shoulder length curls.

She turned and looked at Kurt and Sebastian.  Ben said, “Sooo, do you recognize them?!”

Her eyes widened, “No way!  Kurt and Sebastian from the Cincinnati show!”  The boys were smiling, shocked that she recognized them.  She looked at Kurt, “Did you know Adam Lambert tweeted about you?”  Everyone laughed.

“I did,”  Kurt smiled.

“They’re here for the weekend, and just happened to be sitting two rows behind us.  They’re going to join us!” Ben exclaimed.

“Great!”  Natalie said.  

 

The five of them made their way to a local restaurant a few blocks away.  They sat at a round table, which was nice, since they could all see and hear everyone well that way.  

“So, Ben,”  Kurt began, “Is the _RENT_ tour over, or you just on break?”

“Just a break.  We have two weeks off, which I’m in the middle of now, and then we’ll go straight though until August again.”

Sebastian looked at Ty, “What do you do, Ty?  Are you also in theater?”

Ty smiled, “No, I’m a chef.  I can’t do anything theater related, except be a handsome audience member.  I’m in the audience ensemble, I guess.”

They all laughed, “Hey, without the audience, there is no show,”  Ben said before kissing Ty on the cheek.

“What about you, Natalie?  Is this your first production?”  Kurt asked.

“No.  I was Joanne in the traveling production of RENT.  I also did the traveling production of _Dear Evan Hansen_.  But being on the road was hard.  So as soon as I had the opportunity to stay in one spot, I took it.  So is theater what you two want to do?”

Kurt shrugged his shoulders, “I haven’t decided.  I auditioned for NYADA, but I also applied for some fashion design schools.  I love both. I love to perform, but I know I couldn’t do life on the road, and the chances of finding something permanent here are slim.”

“I don’t know, Kurt.  You’re really talented.  Even Tom Warren complimented you,”  Ben said.

“Tom?”  Natalie said, with here eyebrows raised, “He doesn’t dish out compliments easily.”

“What about you, Sebastian?  Going into theater? You have a nice voice too,”  Ty smiled.

Seb smiled back, “Thank you, but no.  I’m hoping to get into Columbia. Maybe their pre med school.”

Ben frowned, “Maybe?  What changed? I thought you said you wanted to be a pediatrician?”

Seb sighed, “I don’t know.  Sitting in the hospital with Kurt… I just want to spend my time with him, and not be in school for the next 10 years.”

Kurt squeezed his hand, “To which I tell him that we’ll be together whether he’s a student, or has a quick, easy career.  Either way, I’m not going anywhere,” he looked at Seb. “You need to do what will make you happy in the long term.”

 

Kurt and Sebastian ended up heading home about an hour later.  They took pictures with the five of them together and exchanged numbers with promises to keep in touch before heading their separate ways.  

“I never in a million years would have thought that we would see anyone we knew while we were here,”  Kurt said as they entered the subway train.

“Me neither.  Ben was just as nice as I remembered, and Ty and Natalie seemed great.”

Kurt smiled, “Yeah.”

They were quiet for the rest of the way home.  They didn’t play their new game of making up stories.  As they got off at their stop, Sebastian pulled Kurt closer to him.  “You okay, Babe?”

Kurt answered, “Yeah.  I’m just thinking about what I really want.”

Sebastian asked, “Are you thinking about what school you want to go to?”

Kurt shrugged, “Yeah.  I mean, do I really want to go to audition after audition?  Do I really want to work nights? Do I want the repetitiveness of doing the same play, the same songs, over and over and over again?”

“I don’t know, Babe.  It’s a hard choice.”

“Bas, if you could do any career you ever dreamed of, no school involved no matter what career would you chose, what would you choose?”

Seb looked at Kurt and sighed, “Doctor, probably.  I also love writing though, maybe a journalist or something.” He squeezed Kurt’s hand, “All I know, is that at the end of the day, I want to come home to you.”

Kurt smiled at him and leaned up to kiss his cheek as they walked.  

 

Once they were home, coats hung up, and shoes off, Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hand and pulled him toward the grand piano. “Have a seat,” he said softly.

Kurt grinned, “Okay.”

Sebastian sat next to him at the piano bench.  “I wrote you a song.”

Kurt raised his eyebrows in surprise, “You did?”

Seb grinned and nodded, “Yeah.  Bare with me. I’m better at guitar.”  He paused and said, “It’s called [ Running Home To You ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptkw2rPhAuM).  It’s all I know, without a doubt, that I truly want.”

Kurt listened as Sebastian sang the lyrics.

“Can't say how the days will unfold,

Can't change what the future may hold

But, I want you in it

Every hour, every minute

This world can race by far too fast

Hard to see while it's all flying past

But, it's clear now,

When you're standing here now

I am meant to be wherever you are next to me

All I want to do

Is come running home to you

Come running home to you

And all my life I promise to

Keep running home to you

Keep running home

To you

And I could see it

Right from the start

Right from the start

That you would be

Be my light in the dark

Light in the dark

Oh, you gave me no other choice

But to love you

All I want to do

Is come running home to you

Come running home to you

And all my life I promise to

Keep running home to you

Keep running home

Home to you

Can't say how the days will unfold

Can't change what the future may hold

But, I want you in it

Every hour, every minute”

Sebastian was still looking at Kurt, who had tears silently rolling down his cheeks.  He smiled softly. “I love you, Baby.”

“I love you too, Bas.  That was so beautiful. Thank you so much.  I’m going to cherish that song for the rest of my life.”  He kissed Seb, soft and slow, memorizing this moment...The feel of his love’s lips, his warm skin, hot breath, and the love that radiated off of him.

Kurt pulled away slightly, “You know that song will be played at our wedding, right?”

Sebastian smiled ear to ear and softly laughed, “Whatever you want, Babe.  As long as I’m there with you.”

 

…………………

 

Sunday morning, the boys woke up and decided that Kurt needed to try a New York bagel.  They walked down the street, and entered Russ & Daughter Bagel Shop, at he recommendation of Gregory.  

They took their bagel and coffee across the street to Central Park.  They found an empty bench where they sat and ate as they did a little early morning people watching.  When Kurt finished his ‘best-bagel-I’ve-ever-had’, he said, “I’m really going to miss it here.”

Sebastian nodded, “It does make me anxious for high school to end, that’s for sure.”  He paused, “But, we need to focus on the end of our Senior year.  Focus on our lives in Ohio.  Our families, our friends.  It’s all going to change so quickly. Let’s not take it for granted.”

Kurt looked at him and smiled, “Have I ever told you that I love you?”

Sebastian shrugged and smirked, “Maybe once or twice.”

 

After a stroll through the park, the boys decided to spend some more time in the penthouse.  As they entered and hung up their coats, and took off their shoes, Kurt said, “Maybe we should get a shoe cabinet for the foyer.  There’s not a good place to put them, besides on the floor by the coat tree. It works for now, but once we move in, we’ll have tons more shoes with us.”

Seb nodded,  “Sounds good.  I want to start looking for that coffee cart, too.  I think that is the best idea ever.”

Kurt giggled, “Of course.  It involves a bedroom, coffee, and a beautiful view.”

 

They spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon inside, enjoying the penthouse, and each others company.  They took another walk around the neighborhood, stopping in some of the boutiques and shops along the way. Kurt felt comfortable in the neighborhood, as well as entering and exitig their building by the time their visit was over.

 

Kurt sighed as he brought his bag downstairs, “I don’t want to go.”

Sebastian smiled, “I know, Babe.  It won’t be long, though, and we’ll be back.”  

 

As the plane took off, with Kurt squeezing Sebastian’s hand tightly, Kurt looked out at the city below.  As it became smaller and smaller in the distance, Kurt sighed, “We’ll see you soon.”

 


	46. Shawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt's bad dreams return, and Shawn doesn't help the situation. McKinley boys to the rescue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all who have left comments and kudos! I really appreciate it...More than you know! Happy PRIDE month!

                                                           

                                                                 ~~~~~ Two and a half weeks later~~~~~

 

Cameron woke up when he heard whimpering.  He was confused in a sleepy fog for several seconds, wondering if he himself was still sleeping.  He quickly realized it was Kurt who was making the whimpering and crying sounds. He sat straight up when he heard Kurt cry ‘no don’t’ in his sleep.  

He threw the covers off and walked over to Kurt’s bed.  He gently put his hand on Kurt’s shoulder and shook, “Kurt.  Kurt, you’re having a nightmare, wake up.” Kurt pulled away, yelling ‘no’ louder.   Cameron tried again, “Kurt wake up. You’re having a bad dream.”

Kurt yelled, “Don’t touch me!  No! Get off!” as he thrashed back and forth.  

Cameron was worried, and jerked his hand back.  As the seconds ticked by, Kurt seemed to be in more and more distress.  He called Sebastian.

 

When Sebastian’s phone rang, he groggily pulled it off his nightstand.  His alarm clock read 3:08 AM, so he wondered what was wrong. When his caller ID said ‘Cameron’, his heart sank as he sat straight up in bed,  “Cam, what’s wrong!?”

“Seb, Kurt’s having a bad dream and I can’t wake him up.”

“I’ll be right there.  Don’t touch him,” Seb said as he threw off the covers and ran out the door.  

Nick woke up when Sebastian’s phone rang.  When he heard Sebastian say ‘Cam’, he worried.  As Sebastian ran out the door, Nick got up to follow.

Sebastian was at Kurt’s room in no time.  Cameron was waiting for him at the door. When he saw Nick coming down the hall, he left the door open for him.  Nick closed it behind himself after he entered.

“I tried, Seb.  It just made it worse.  He was yelling ‘no’ and ‘don’t touch me’ and ‘stop’.”  Cameron said. The concern was written all over his face.

Kurt was still tossing and turning.  He was still babbling, “Please don’t...No!”

Sebastian didn’t take his eyes off Kurt as he said, “It’s a night terror.  Worse than a nightmare. They’re very realistic and you can’t wake him with touching.  It can make it worse. He’s also likely to remember it all. It just adds to everything else he’s dealt with.”  

“Shit.  I’m sorry.  I didn’t know.”  Cameron felt awful.

Sebastian looked at Cameron, making sure he was listening, “No, Cameron.  It’s not your fault. I should have told you he’s had one before.” He looked back to Kurt, “It’s just been a few months, so I didn’t think about him having another one.”

Sebastian sat on the edge of Kurt’s bed, careful not to touch him, while Cameron and Nick looked on.  They were so worried for their friend.

“Kurt, Baby, it’s me,”  Seb spoke softly. “I need you to wake up for me.”  

Kurt continued to toss and turn,  “No, no, no!” He made a grunting sound, throwing his hands up to his face, as if he’d been hit, “Stop!”.  Kurt was crying real tears now.

Cameron went to sit on the edge of his own bed.  He put his elbows on his knees and was wringing his hands together.  Nick had one arm across his chest, the other was bent as he rubbed his face.  He paced back and forth as he watched.

“Baby, it’s Bas.  I’m here. You just need to wake up for me.  Come back to me, Babe, I’m right here.” He waited a few seconds,   “You’re okay. Show me those beautiful blue eyes.”

Kurt was still restless, but was not thrashing as he was earlier.  He was still fighting whatever was in his dream, but wasn’t yelling, “Please don’t.  I can’t take any more. Please stop.”

Sebastian dropped his head at those words.  It absolutely broke his heart. He ran his hands through his hair, and then continued, “Kurt.”  His tone was low, and serious, but still gentle. He looked over to Nick, who gave him an encouraging nod.  Nick knew this was his Dom voice. “Kurt, Baby, wake up for me. I want to see your eyes. Open your eyes.”

Cameron noticed a change.  Sebastian was still being gentle, but something was different.

“Sir?”  Kurt cried.  “Sir, make him his stop!  Please!”

Cameron frowned, and looked at Nick, back to Kurt and Sebastian, and then back to Nick.  Nick looked at Cameron and nodded ‘yes’ to the unasked question.

Sebastian’s heart continued to break.  He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before he spoke again.  “The only way for this to stop is for you to wake up, Kurt. Open your eyes.  I’ll be right here when you do. I’ve got you, Baby. Open your eyes for me.”

Kurt was considerably calmer, “Sir…”  He was turning his head from side to side, slowly, as if he was searching.

“That’s it, Kurt.  You’re doing a good job.  You’re always so good for me.  Wake up, Baby.” Sebastian put his hands under his own legs, just to keep himself from reaching out and embracing Kurt.

“Sir, please,”  Kurt said softly.

“I’m here, Kurt.  Just open your eyes.”

Kurt turned toward Sebastian, his eyes fluttering.  “That’s it, Baby,” Sebastian encouraged.

Kurt opened eyes, focusing on Sebastian, “Sir!”  He lunged forward, and the boys embraced. Sebastian ran his hands through Kurt’s hair and kissed his temple.

“Bas, thank god.”

“I’ve got you,”  Sebastian pulled back without letting go, “Are you okay?”

Kurt nodded warily, “Yeah.”

“Who was it, Babe?”  Sebastian asked as he stroked Kurt’s cheek.  The fact that he had to ask which one, that there were multiple options, really pissed him off.

“Blaine,”  Kurt answered meekly.

“Okay.  Lay back down.  I’ll sleep in here with you.”  He climbed over Kurt, who turned and snuggled into him once he was under the covers.  Seb looked at Cameron, “You can go sleep in my bed, if you want.”

Cameron shook his head, “No, I’d feel better if I stayed here.”  He didn’t know what he could do if something else happened, but he felt like it he left, he would be abandoning his friend.

Seb nodded to Cameron, “Yeah.  Thanks for calling.”

“No problem.”  He paused as he looked at Kurt, “Is he asleep already?”

Sebastian kissed Kurt on top of his head.  “Probably. Those wear him out.”

Nick said, “Well, I’m going to head back to bed.  Call me if you need me.”

“Okay.  Thanks, Nick.”  Sebastian yawned.

Cameron turned the lights out again, and laid in his bed, trying to sleep.   Only the light from the moon lit the room, but he could still see Kurt and Sebastian pretty well.  “Seb?” he whispered.

“Hmm?”  Sebastian looked over to Cameron.

“Are...Are you Kurt’s…Um...”

“Dom?”  Sebastian thought he’d put Cameron out of his misery.  He knew this would be a question as soon as Kurt had called him ‘Sir’.

“Um...Yeah?”

“Yes, I am.  It may not be what you’re imagining though.  And it isn’t something we want everyone to know.  Nick and Jeff know, but here at Dalton, that’s it.  Please don’t say anything to Quinn. If she repeated it to the wrong people, it could really be bad.”

“Sure.  I won’t say anything to anyone.”  Cameron quickly answered.

“If you have questions or concerns, we can talk later.”  Seb was rubbing Kurt’s back, “It will be up to Kurt how much we share.  I will just say that this was something he wanted, and it’s something he needs.  He does not get hurt by me, ever, so there’s no need to worry about that.”

“Okay.  That’s all I need to know. I know how much you love him, and as long as he isn’t getting hurt, the rest isn’t my concern.”

All three boys were asleep soon after.  Morning was going to come very quickly.

~

When the alarm went off, Kurt snuggled into Sebastian, trying to get a little closer than he already was.  Sebastian smiled, “Come on, Babe. Time to get up.”

Kurt made a protesting noise in return.

“I know you’re extra tired, but you need to eat, so get up and I’ll meet you for breakfast.”

“Fine,”  Kurt grumbled as he sat up.  He looked over to Cameron who was just beginning to stir.  That’s when it dawned on him, “Oh, shit,” he whispered. He looked back to Sebastian with concerned wide eyes.  It seemed more and more people were finding out, which made sense, since his needs were becoming greater. He just really didn’t want this to get back to anyone else at McKinley.  He loved Quinn, but she wasn’t exactly known for keeping secrets. She and Cameron had only been on a couple of dates, but they did talk pretty often. He didn’t know how much Cameron might share.

“Yeah.  It’s okay, though.  He knows not to say anything,”  Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s back as he spoke.  

“Okay.”  He would just have to trust that.

Cameron rolled over, “Say anything about what?”  He winked at Kurt.

Kurt rolled his eyes, grabbed his pillow, and hit Cameron with it as he walked to the bathroom.

“Hey!  Always with the pillows!”  Cameron grumbled half-heartedly.

“See in the cafe, Babe!”  Sebastian called through the door.  Kurt answered best he could with a mouthful of toothpaste.

Seb turned to Cameron on the way out the door, “Thanks again, man.  I really do appreciate it.”

Cameron waved, “No biggie.”

~

Sebastian was waiting outside the cafeteria for Kurt.  Shawn passed him without saying a word, but his eyes raked over Sebastian like he was a piece of meat.  Sebastian glared at him as he walked past. He was not in the mood for Shawn today.

Shawn and Sebastian both made the soccer team.  Sebastian got his preferred position of goalie, since the team goalie from the previous three years had graduated last year.  Shawn played center back, which meant that he was one of the players that would be closest to Sebastian during games. So far, Shawn had kept his mouth shut, but his eyes did a lot of talking, and a lot of undressing.

When it came to Kurt, Shawn was basically doing the same thing.  He didn’t say much to Kurt since Valentine’s Day, but his eyes did all the talking. He stared a lot, winked a lot, and let his eyes follow Kurt everywhere. It was as if both Kurt and Sebastian were pieces of meat dangling off the edge of a table, and Shawn was the dog that was waiting to see which piece he got to eat first.  

 

Sebastian only had to wait a minute for Kurt to come down to breakfast.  Once he was close enough, Sebastian leaned over and kissed Kurt on the forehead.  They got their breakfast and headed for their seats. This time though, Sebastian lead them to a table further away from the Warblers.

“What’s up with them?”  Trent asked as he motioned toward Kurt and Sebastian.

Cameron looked in their direction and then looked back, “Kurt had a rough night.  I’m sure Seb is just making sure he’s okay before classes start.”

“A rough night?”  Trent asked.

Cameron nodded, “Bad dreams.”

“Oh….”

 

“Kurt, please be honest with me.  Did something happen to trigger your night terror?”  

“No,”  Kurt was looking down at his food, and not at Sebastian.  He wasn’t eating. He looked back up to meet Sebastian’s eyes, “But I’ve been having more bad dreams since starting therapy.  It’s like it wakes up that part of my brain.”

Sebastian sighed, “I’m sorry, Babe.  You need to tell the therapist about the dreams.  Have you done that?”

Kurt shook his head, “No.”

“Well, maybe there is something he could have you do to help you avoid them.  Tell him about them, okay?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.”  He still wasn’t eating, or even attempting to.

Sebastian lowered his tone said, “Eat, please.”

“Yes, Sir.”

 

Kurt seemed to be dragging through his classes.  He was so exhausted, both mentally and physically.  By the time he made it to lunch, he thought he might fall asleep standing up.  He and Sebastian had returned to their normal seats among the Warblers. Kurt tried to stay in the conversation as much as possible, but often found his mind wondering.  Sebastian, Cameron, Nick, and Jeff all kept a worried, watchful eye on him.

Sebastian noticed Kurt barely eating is lunch.  “Kurt,” he said, snapping Kurt out of a daze. When Kurt’s eyes met his, Seb nodded down to Kurt’s plate, telling him to eat, without using words.  

Kurt nodded and whispered, “Okay,” in response.  He only ate part of his lunch.

 

Cameron made sure to get to history class as soon as possible.  Kurt was always one of the first people to arrive, and he wanted time to talk to Kurt and make sure he was doing okay.  When he arrived, Mr. Schlotman was sitting behind his desk going through some papers. Kurt was sitting in his seat with his notes out, staring off into space.  He noticed Shawn was there already too. It was all unusual, only because Kurt and Mr. Schlotman really liked each other, and were usually deep in conversation by the time class started.  Today.... Silence.

Cameron sat down and whispered, “Hey.”

Kurt woke from his daze, “Hey.”

“Are you doing okay?” Cameron asked softly.

“Yeah.  I’m just really tired.”

“I’m sure you are.  Let me know if I can help in any way, okay?”  

Kurt nodded in return, “Thanks.”

Cameron had always liked Kurt.  He had gotten to know him this year much better than he had last year when Kurt was with Blaine.  In fact, last year, Cameron wasn’t sure they had ever really had a conversation. But after getting to know him this year, and then being his roommate, they knew and liked each other really well.  However, witnessing the distress Kurt was in during his night terror was a wake up call to Cameron. He knew the basics of what Blaine had put Kurt through. Everyone seemed to. But to hear Kurt going through it, even a little, did something to Cameron.  He had a new, raw, unbridled, desire to protect Kurt. He couldn’t imagine how Sebastian felt.

Shawn watched them silently.  He had watched all day. He was sure that Kurt and Sebastian were having trouble.  Why else would they be talking so quietly, away from everyone, at breakfast? Kurt seemed upset at lunch, too.  And now Cameron was asking if he’s okay. There had to be trouble in paradise, and Shawn was going to use it to his advantage.

He hated that Cameron always walked Kurt to his next class after History.  But today, he counted himself lucky, because Luke, who was on their soccer team, stopped Cameron to ask him something.  He knew it was now or never.

When Kurt was walking with Cameron, they were both silent.  Kurt was deep in thought. Well, memories, actually. The night terror he had was incredibly realistic, and an extremely accurate reenactment of that night at Scandals.  Kurt barely noticed, much less acknowledged, when Cameron excused himself to talk to Luke.

Shawn quickly approached Kurt.  “Hey, Kurt. Trouble in paradise with Sebastian?  I can help ease your pain. If fact, I can take it all away,” he lowered his voice, “I can make you feel sooo good.”  Shawn’s tone was creepy, but it didn’t matter. Kurt didn’t hear a word of it. He was too lost in thought. The only reason his feet were carrying him to his next class was because he was on autopilot.

Shawn didn’t like being ignored.  He grabbed Kurt’s arm, pulling back a bit too forcefully as he came to a stop, “Kurt!”

The moment Shawn grabbed his arm, the world turned to slow motion as Kurt woke from his memory filled fog.  Terror filled his eyes as he jerked his arm back, yelling, “No!” He stumbled backwards, falling to the ground, and hitting his head against the bottom of the wall.  The dark wood paneling seemed extra hard. His breathing was becoming more and more labored. He was trying to scramble backwards to get away from Shawn, but the stupid wall was in his way.

Shawn frowned and threw his hands up in act of innocence, “What the fuck is the matter with you?”

Cameron had come running as soon as he saw Kurt jerk away out the corner of his eye.  He grabbed Shawn, pushing up against the opposite wall, holding him there with ease, “What the fuck is the matter with _you_?  What did you do? You know damn well and good what he’s been through.” Shawn made no attempt to move or say anything.

Jeff had seen the whole thing happen as he approached from the opposite end of the hall.  He ran to be by Kurt’s side. He knelt with Kurt, grabbing his hand, “Breathe, Kurt. It’s okay.”  Seeing people watch him made it worse. He couldn’t get it under control. Kurt grabbed hold of Jeff, trying to take comfort in his friend.  Jeff looked up to Luke, who was looking on with concern, “Do you know where Sebastian is?”

“Yeah, he’s in my next class,”  Without another word, Luke was running to get Seb.

 

Luke went running into the classroom, “Sebastian!”  

Sebastian was sitting with his book and notes out on the desk.  When he saw the look on Luke’s face, he knew something bad had happened.  He immediately jumped up and ran out of the room, following Luke. No other words were exchanged.

When they got around the corner, and he saw Kurt on the floor having a panic attack, he quickly assessed the situation.  Kurt panicking, Jeff was comforting him. Cameron looked furious, and had Shawn pinned to the wall. If looks could actually kill, Shawn would be dead.  Although, if looks could actually kill, Cameron’s glare would have gotten the job done before Seb’s arrival.

Sebastian ran straight to Kurt.  He got on the floor, “Look at me, Kurt.”  He grabbed Kurt’s hand and placed it on his own chest, “Breathe, Babe. Match me. You know how this goes. Count backwards from 10 to 0 in your head.  Match my breathing, Babe.” Sebastian’s heart broke at the scared look in Kurt’s eyes, but as they continued to look into each other’s eyes and did the breathing exercise,  the panic seemed to subside. “Doing better?”

Kurt nodded, but he was still clinging to Sebastian.  “I...I’m okay.”

Sebastian didn’t take his eyes off Kurt.  He whispered as calmly as he could manage, “Did he touch you?”

Kurt closed his eyes for a few seconds.  Jeff was still on the ground with him, “Tell him, Kurtsie.”

Kurt opened his eyes.  “He just startled me. He grabbed my arm.  I guess I hadn’t responded to him or something.”

Sebastian took a deep breath.

Jeff said, “Seb, he grabbed him pretty hard.  Kurt had to jerk his arm back with such force that he stumbled and fell.  He hit his head.”

Sebastian took another deep breath, “Is your head okay?”

Kurt answered, “Compared to what’s happened lately, it’s fine.  I’m fine.”

“Let me see,”  Seb said. He reached around and felt the back of Kurt’s head.  “You do have a lump, Babe. Let’s get you some ice.” He stood up and grabbed Kurt’s hand, pulling him to stand.

Only Sebastian, Kurt, Jeff, Cameron, and Shawn remained in the hallway.  Everyone else had gone to class. They would be late if they stuck around, and if Sebastian wasn’t going to go after Shawn, it wasn’t worth sticking around to watch.  

When the three of them stood, Sebastian nudged Kurt and Jeff together, silently asking Jeff to make sure Kurt was okay for a minute.  

He turned toward Cameron and Shawn, slowly walking toward them.  He stared daggers deep into Shawn’s soul. He hissed, “What the _fuck_ do you think you’re doing touching him?”

“I...he...he…”  Shawn couldn’t think of a single reason.  He couldn’t even remember exactly what he had said to Kurt.  

“Enough!”  Sebastian spat.  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”  He turned around and returned to Kurt.  He put his arm around his waist.

Jeff squeezed Kurt’s hand, “I’ll let the teacher know you’re in the infirmary.  Love you.”

“Love you, too,”  Kurt whispered. Jeff gave a soft smile and then headed to class.

Cameron finally removed his hand from Shawn’s chest, but he grabbed Shawn’s tie instead.  He leaned in and whispered, “Have fun with the McKinley boys.” Shawn's eyes widened. That’s what Sebastian meant by ‘don’t say I didn’t warn you’?  Shit.

Sebastian walked Kurt to the nurse.  After making sure that Kurt had some ice, and knowing he was going to lay down for a bit, Sebastian returned to class.  On his way, he pulled out his phone.

 

**To Puck:**

I need your help.  Remember our chat at Sugar’s party? I warned him.  He didn’t listen.

**To Seb:**

I knew he was going to be trouble.  I’ll gather the boys, and we’ll be there after school.

**To Puck:**

I’ll call after school with details. Make it around dinner time, nothing at school.  I’ll be erasing these texts. You do the same.

**To Seb:**

Done.

 

Sebastian was grateful that Kurt showed up for Art History.  The lump on his head had gone down some, and he was feeling better.  

Entering their study hall, Sebastian watched Shawn as they passed him.  Seb kept a protective arm around Kurt and glared at Shawn, who seemed to shrink into his seat a bit.  Sebastian had to keep getting Kurt focused on his homework. He’d notice him spacing out every so often, getting lost in thought.  By the end of study hall, he had helped Kurt get all of his homework finished that was due the following day.

Once classes were over Sebastian said, “Can you tell me now what happened earlier?”

Kurt took a second to think, “I’m not entirely sure.  I’ve been lost in thought all day. My dream was like reliving parts of it, and I can’t stop thinking about it now.  So I was lost in thought...Cameron was walking with me, but he said something to me that I don’t remember. Then the next thing I know, Shawn had replaced Cameron, but I’m not so sure it fully registered with me at the time.  He said something, but I don’t know what. I guess I made him mad that I wasn’t listening? I don’t know. But he grabbed my arm and yanked me as he stopped walking. That’s when I snapped out of it. It scared the crap out of me, so I jerked back, lost my balance, and fell.”

Seb rubbed his thumb over Kurt’s knuckles, “And you don’t remember what he said to you?”

Kurt thought for a minute and then frowned, “I think maybe something about you and I being in trouble?  Him making it better? I don’t know. I was in such a fog, I wouldn’t count on me being right.”

“Okay, Babe.  I need to get to practice.  Are you going to be okay tonight?  I think the team is going out to dinner.  Do you want to come?”

“No, I think I want to sew.  It helps me relax. Thanks though.”

“Okay, but I’m going to have Jeff and Nick come check on you.  I don’t want your train of thought to spiral out of control. I know you need some time alone, but time alone with the wrong thoughts can be really bad.”

Kurt nodded, “You’re right.  You go get ready for practice.  Come see me when you get back tonight?”

“Of course, Babe.  Do you want me to bring you back some dinner?  We’re going to that Chinese place you like.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,”  Kurt gave a small smile, but Seb knew it was forced.

“Alright.  I’ll bring you your usual.  I love you.” Sebastian squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek.

“I love you, too.”

~

Sebastian headed to the locker room for soccer practice, but made a pit stop in an empty study room on the way.  He dialed Puck. He told him all about the events of the day, including the night terror. He could hear how pissed Puck was on the other end of the line.  They made arrangements for the evening, agreeing that there would be no unnecessary violence. They just needed to scare Shawn, not contribute to the violent nature of the men in Kurt’s past.

~

Cameron, who happened to be the captain of the soccer team, made sure everyone knew that the team was going out to dinner.  They loaded into several cars and headed to Hunan Garden Chinese Restaurant. Shawn made sure to avoid Sebastian, Cameron, and Thad.  

Shawn and Luke ended up in a car together with two other boys, although Luke wasn’t real happy about it.  He couldn’t handle it anymore, “You know, Shawn, I don’t know what you said or did to Kurt today, but you need to stop.  We all see how you flirt with Sebastian too. You need to get over this shit.  They’re together, and you can’t change that.”

Shawn sighed, “It looked to me like they were having trouble, so I made my move.  All I did was grab Kurt’s arm when he wasn’t even fucking acknowledging me.”

“Dude, you’re an idiot,” a boy named Justin said.

Luke nodded, “You do know what Kurt has been through, right?”  He shook his head in disbelief.

“What the hell does that have to do with me?”  Shawn frowned.

Turner, who was driving the car, said, “Fuck, Shawn, it has to do with all of us.  It has to do with the way we treat him. Did you know he came back to Dalton this year because after all the shit he had been through, someone threatened to kill him?  All because he’s gay. Something that out of everyone, YOU should have some empathy for. It has to do with us as a school, because we need to treat him better that the asses at his old school But you also need to be respectful of the trauma he’s been through.”

“Obviously, I don’t get it.”  Shawn sighed, laying his head back on the headrest.  

Justin said, “From what I heard, you grabbed his arm and yanked him back when he wasn’t talking to you.  He’s probably going to be jumpy and scared if someone unwelcomed grabs his arm and yanks, don’t you think?”

Luke added, “You’re lucky that they aren’t reporting you.”

Shawn shrugged, “I guess.”  He hadn’t really thought of it that way.  He had been too wrapped up in his own desires.  He saw and opportunity and took it, without thinking.

~

The team ate at the restaurant, Shawn taking his seat furthest away from Sebastian, Cameron, and Thad.  Once they were all finished eating, and bills were settled, they headed outside to the cars. When they turned the corner of the building, the team saw several guys leaning up against their cars waiting for them.  As the team got a bit closer, Sebastian smirked at the thought that his probably looked like a turf war scene from West Side Story to any outsider. In fact, some of the team probably felt like that too, since they didn’t know who these guys were.  

There was an obvious size difference between the two groups.  Sebastian and Cameron were the more muscular of the soccer team.  Everyone else had athletic builds, but were slimmer and lankier. The McKinley boys looked taller than most of the team, and definitely more muscular.

Sebastian stood in front of his team, with his hands in his pockets.  No one was saying a word. Finn pushed off where he was leaning on one of the cars and stood in front of Sebastian, inches from his face.  He stared down at him, narrowing his eyes.

Several of the boys on the team were wide eyed, and extremely nervous.  Suddenly, Finn broke character and smiled a huge goofy smile. Sebastian laughed, and the two boys hugged.  

“How are you, bro?!”  Finn smiled.

“I’ve had better days.”  

The other McKinley boys stepped forward a bit, now grinning.  They all hugged Sebastian, Cameron, and Thad. Some of the soccer team were smiling as they watched.  Others were confused. They didn’t know Seb, and especially Cameron and Thad, were that close to anyone from Kurt’s old school.  When they finished, Cameron and Thad moved to the back corners of the soccer team.

Sebastian turned and sided with the McKinley boys.  Shawn tried to make himself small, and hid behind a couple of his teammates as best as he could.  “Let me introduce everyone,” Sebastian clapped his hands together. This was going to be fun. He started with Finn, “This is Finn Hudson, Kurt’s stepbrother.  He’s a big softy of a giant quarterback, but he’s very protective of his brother, so you might want to be _very_ careful about that.”

He moved on to Puck, putting his arm around his shoulder, “This is Noah Puckerman, known as Puck to everyone but Kurt.  He’s one of our best friends. If you love the Sugar Shack treats, you can thank his girlfriend for that. He lovingly calls Kurt 'Princess', and is the only one who can do so. He’s fiercely loyal, and fiercely protective of his family. If you didn’t know, that includes Kurt and I. Of everyone here, he’s the one I wouldn’t cross if I were you. He’s proven on several occasions that he doesn’t mind doing what needs to be done, if you know what I mean.”

He moved to Sam, “This guy is Sam Evans.  He’s a pseudo brother to Kurt, and lives with the Hummel’s and Hudson’s.  He’s also my sister Leah’s boyfriend. He’s very protective of Leah and Kurt, both.  He’s proven that over and over.”

He moved to Mike, “This is Mike Chang.  He’s stepped up for Kurt and I, along with Niff, when someone was threatening us one night.  He’s a loyal friend that we are happy to have him as part of our family.”

Sebastian was pleasantly surprised about the next two, “These two gentlemen are Clay Elliott, and Jack Collins.  I’m not sure if you saw the Cheer Nationals, but they are the ones who lifted Kurt like he was a feather. They’ve proven to be great friends.”

Sebastian turned back to his McKinley family, “So, family!  Let me introduce you to the team. You know Cameron and Thad back there, since they’re part of our family too,”  The boys all smiled and nodded. “This is Turner, Luke, Justin, Max, Jason, Aaron, Brently, Tyler, and Chad,” he gestured to each boy as he spoke.  “And hiding back behind Bently, would be Shawn.”

All smiles disappeared from both groups.  The soccer team seemed to part like the Red Sea as the McKinley boys approached Shawn.  Finn was towering over Shawn, but was to his side, only an inch away. It was Puck who stood in front of him, looking down his nose at him as he growled, “Shawn, you say?”  The other McKinley boys gathered around.

“Yep.  That’s Shawn.  The one Cameron and Nick and I warned to leave Kurt alone.  But yet, there have been comments, looks, even cards.  But today, you see, Shawn here crossed the line.  He put his _hands_ on the man I love.”

Puck frowned, “You _touched_ my Princess?”  Shawn’s eyes were huge.  Puck continued as he inched closer, “You do know what he’s been though, right?  I mean, you’re not an idiot, right? No, no, that can’t be it.  Seb already said you were warned. Hmm, I know Seb and Kurt couldn’t have been sending you mixed signals or anything.  I mean, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen two people more in love. So...So what could it be?” Puck was really playing into this.  He was frowning. “Tell me, Shawn, what made you think you had the right to touch _my_ Princess, Seb’s Baby, my Sugar’s Angel, Finn’s Little Brother?  Hmm?”

Shawn didn’t know what to say, “I...I...I don’t….”

Puck continued, “No, you don’t.  You don’t have the right. He’s not yours, and he never will be.  Now let me make something perfectly clear. Kurt has been through a living Hell more than once in the last year alone.  If you attempt to put him through anything else, I will make sure that you think Hell looks like a nice vacation spot. If you look at him the wrong way, if you flirt with him, I will find out, and you will regret it.  But if you lay a single finger on him, for any reason, I will cut your dick off and you can use it as your own personal dildo. Do I make myself clear?”

Shawn quickly nodded, “Y-yes.  Perfectly clear.”

“And while we’re at it,”  Puck continued, “If you even try to flirt with Seb, or anyone else in my family, I will make you pay.  They are all happy, and you aren’t a part of that. Clear?”

“Clear,”  Shawn quickly answered.  

“Awe, Shawn,"  Sebastian drawled, "You are so lucky that Kurt hates violence.  Otherwise, tonight would have ended very differently.  Now let’s get back.  I don’t want Kurt’s dinner getting too cold.”


	47. College Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian had one last chat with Shawn to make sure he really understands.  
> College letters start arriving, which means Kurt and family have some major decisions and major life changes coming their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a loooong chapter. At least if felt long to me, lol. PLEASE leave comments and kudos! They inspire me!

Friday night was the first soccer game of the season.  Sebastian was in the locker room getting dressed when Shawn approached him.  Several guys noticed right away, including Cameron and Thad, who made sure to make their presence known.

“Sebastian,”  Shawn started.

Seb looked up from the bench where he was lacing his cleats, “Think carefully, Shawn.  Don’t get yourself into trouble you won’t be able to get yourself out of.”

Shawn nodded, “I know.  I just want to apologize.  Elijah and I had a long talk last night after we got home.  Between your friends and Elijah, I think I get it now. I’m really sorry.”

Sebastian stood, “What exactly do you get?”

Shawn swallowed, “Um... I get that Kurt has been through a lot, and me grabbing him scared him.  I get why my advances were making him uncomfortable. Both of you, actually. I don’t have the right to go after someone who is already in a committed relationship.”

“Thank you for the apology.  I think you owe one to Kurt, too, but I will be there when you do it.  Understood?” Sebastian crossed his arms as they spoke.

Shawn nodded, “Yeah.”

Sebastian tilted his head a bit, “Do you understand why I’m so protective of him?”  Shawn just looked at him. He heard things through the grapevine like everyone else, but he didn’t know much.  When Shawn didn’t answer, Seb continued, “The day I met Kurt, I also met Dave, the guy who had bullied him so badly that he had to transfer here last year.  The things he was put through at school...having slushies thrown in his face, being thrown against lockers, tossed into dumpsters like he was trash. He had bruises all over, all the time.  Several guys were doing it, but when Puck and Finn found out, it mostly stopped. But Dave kept going. Then one day, he forced a kiss on Kurt and then threatened to kill him if he told anyone.  That’s when he came here. Which, of course, is where he met the one and only Blaine _fucking_ Anderson.” Seb closed his eyes and regained his composure, “A week after I met Kurt, his boyfriend faked being drunk and tried to rape him.  He beat Kurt so fucking badly, that he still has night terrors about it. When I found them, Blaine was on top of him. His clothes were ripped open, he was bloody and bruised, and he was drifting in and out of consciousness. Blaine was yelling at him and had his hand down his fucking pants.  I had an instant connection with Kurt from the day we met, and it killed me that he was with someone else. But after I found them...and stopped him from...When I was holding Kurt, broken in my arms on the pavement, I swore to myself that I would _never_ let him go.”

“I…I didn’t realize…”  Shawn had no idea it was that bad.  

“I’m not done.  Dave decided he was jealous that Kurt and I had gotten together after that.  He stalked us. Kurt had night terrors, panic attacks, even fainted when he saw who it was after Finn and Puck caught him.  Police got involved, and now we both have restraining orders out against him.”

“Sebastian, I’m really -”  Shawn started, but Seb cut him off.

“Not.  Done.” Sebastian stepped closer, and Shawn took a step back.  “Then Mack came along. He wanted my sister, but since he was an asshole, we wouldn’t let it happen.  Mack was pissed, so he took it out on the one person I love most in this world, just to piss me off. He attacked Kurt at school twice before he tried to rape Sugar, Kurt’s best friend, Puck’s girlfriend.  Kurt stopped him. Gave him a black eye and busted lip. But the son of bitch took Kurt’s head and slammed it into the wall so hard that he didn’t wake up for 20 hours. 20 fucking hours, Shawn! Puck was the one who found Sugar and Kurt in the hallway.  Kurt was unconscious, and Sugar nearly was. He had shoved her into the wall after he had already choked her to the point that you could see his hand prints bruised around her neck. Then after unsuccessfully going after my sister again, he ran from the cops and fucking killed himself.  Do you know what happened next, Shawn?”  

Shawn shook his head ‘no’.

“This asshole named Rick, who had already bullied Kurt over the years just because he’s gay...he cornered Kurt in the bathroom after he finally made it back to school.  Told him Kurt should’ve been the one who died, and that he could take care of that. That’s why he’s here, Shawn, because his life was threatened _again_ , and this is supposed to be a safe place for him.”

“And then, guess what…”  He stepped closer to Shawn again, “YOU come along.  You were warned, yet just like those other assholes, you didn’t listen.”

Shawn frowned, “But I’m...I’m not…”  Shawn didn’t feel like he was anything like those other guys.

“But you are, Shawn.  We have told you to stop several times.  Even after you grabbed Kurt yesterday, you still didn’t get it.  You terrified him, just like the others. That panic attack he had was because of _you_.  You need to think about that.  What about the next guy? Are you going to treat every guy that way?  I told you we were both off limits. It didn’t matter to you.” He stepped closer to Shawn, “When it comes to Kurt, we aren’t just talking about any guy.  He’s my future husband. He’s the love of my life. I would do _anything_ to keep him from getting hurt again.  I still worry that Dave is secretly watching.  I worry that Rick will show up when Kurt’s home one weekend, and actually try to kill him.  I worry that in 4 and a half years, Blaine will get out of prison and come looking for him. Am I going to have to continue worrying about YOU, Shawn?”

“No.  No, I promise I won’t do anything inappropriate.  I won’t even talk to him. I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize how much he had been through.”

“And what about the next guy?  What if he tells you 'no' just because he’s not interested?  What will you do then?” Sebastian stepped a half step closer.

“I...I’ll back off.  I get it. No means no.  Even if it’s nothing sexual.  I’ll back off. I promise.”

 

~

 

Nick and Jeff stopped by Kurt’s room to see if he was ready to go down to watch the game.  Kurt opened the door, “Hey guys. I’m almost ready. I just want to finish packing my bag, so I’m ready to go after the game.”

“No problem, Kurtsie.  We’re early.” Jeff and Nick sat on Cameron’s bed as they waited.  

Nick said, “So, I’m assuming Seb told you about last night?”

Kurt smirked as he folded a shirt to put in the bag, “Yeah, he did.”  He was grateful that his family was being so protective. 

Jeff asked, “So how do you feel about that?”

Kurt shrugged, “I mean, at this point, we’ve gotta do what we’ve gotta do.  It would kill Bas if anything else happened here. This is supposed to be a safe place for me.  So if it takes our family to gently remind Shawn of that, then that’s fine by me. I’m kind of done playing nice, ya know?  I won’t go looking for trouble, and I certainly wouldn’t want Bas to, but I’m tired of people messing with me. Especially here.”

“Good,”  Nick started, “but I’m a little disappointed.”  Both Jeff and Kurt frowned at Nick, questioning why on Earth he would be disappointed.  He shrugged and made a face, “What? I’m disappointed that I wasn’t there to see it happen.  I mean, when Puck was in Cooper’s face, that was awesome. But to see him do that to Shawn? That would have been the best!” 

 

~

 

 Kurt, Nick, and Jeff made their way toward the soccer stadium.  Once they made it to the main sidewalk, they spotted Puck, Sugar, Quinn, Sam, and Chris.

Sam put his hand on Chris’ shoulder, “Look who we found in the parking lot!”  

Everyone hugged and greeted each other warmly.   As they walked, Kurt went to Puck, grabbed his hand, and pulled him over to where Sam was walking.  Kurt took both of their arms and walked in the middle. “Thank you both for what you did last night.   For showing up, and making sure that I’ll be okay. I love you both.”

Sam smiled, “Of course we’ll make sure you’re okay.”

“Anything for you, Princess,” Puck grinned as he shoulder bumped Kurt.

They all chatted on the walk to the stadium.  When they got there, they saw that Robert, Tori, and Leah were already seated.  Kurt smiled as Sam ran up the steps two at a time. He greeted Robert and Tori, and then Leah stood to give him a hug.  He kissed her on the cheek, then took the seat next to her. 

Kurt stopped for a minute to talk to someone who had been in one of his classes the previous year, while the rest of the group made their way up to sit by the Smythe family.  Once he made his way up to the group, Quinn said, “Come on, Cupid, we saved you a seat.” Everyone smiled at the name Quinn bestowed on him. He hugged and greeted Robert, Tori, and Leah.

Before sitting, he paused, smiling as he wrinkled his nose, “Did you call me Cupid?”  He stood in front of them as he asked.  

Quinn giggled, “Yeah, Kurt.  Look around you. Of all the teenage couples here, there’s only one you didn’t fix up, or gently nudge toward their partner.”  Everyone was smiling, and Sugar and Jeff were giggling.  

Puck barked out a laugh, “I don’t know if the word ‘gentle’ is how you would describe him kicking my butt until I woke up and faced my own reality that I was already in love with my girl,”  he wrapped his arm around Sugar’s waist. She leaned up and kissed his cheek.  

Kurt smiled, “Huh.  I guess you’re right.”  He shrugged his shoulder playfully as he took his seat between Quinn and Sugar, “You’re welcome!”  Everyone giggled.  

Chris reached around Quinn and patted Kurt on the back, “Just add ‘Cupid’ to your long list of nicknames.”

 

When the game started, Kurt couldn’t take his eyes off of Sebastian for a few minutes.  He looked so sexy down there on the field. It made Kurt wonder if maybe he had a thing for jocks that he didn’t know he had.  Then he figured the truth of it was that he just had a thing for Sebastian.  

During the first half of the game, the score was 3-0 Dalton.  Cameron had scored two of the goals, and Luke scored the third.  Sebastian had blocked 2 goals from the opposing team. Kurt had mixed emotions about seeing his boyfriend diving, his body nearly horizontal, to grab the ball mid-air, and then landing on the ground.  It was impressive, but he was sure that it had to hurt. And of course, that is the part he didn’t like.  

At half-time, while the coach was meeting with the team at the bench, Kurt stood to stretch.  “I’m going to go down to get something to drink. Does anyone want anything?” 

“I do.  I’ll go down with you,”  Chris said as he stood.  

“Anyone else want anything?”  Kurt asked. With a resounding ‘no’ from everyone, Kurt and Chris headed down to the concession stand.

As they walked, Chris asked, “How was New York?”

Kurt smiled, “It was amazing, Chris.  Seriously. We walked around the city holding hands, and no one batted an eye.  This big, burly guy on the subway told us we were cute together. I mean, I know we will always face some prejudice, but it was a world of difference.”

Chris smiled, “That sounds great.  I can’t wait.”

Kurt stopped walking, “Wait.  What? You can’t wait for college, or you can’t wait for New York?”

Chris said, “Both?  I can’t wait for college in New York.”  He frowned at Kurt, not understanding what Kurt didn’t understand.

Kurt was still frowning in confusion, “Chris...You’re going to college in New York?”

Chris answered, “Well, I haven’t decided 100% yet, but, yes, most likely.  I just received a letter this week of acceptance to NYU, and they’re giving me a sizable cheer scholarship.  I’m not sure if anywhere else will be able to beat it.” He paused, and then looked confused himself, “I just figured Thad had told you.  I found out Wednesday.”

Kurt’s smile grew bigger by the second, and then next thing Chris knew, Kurt was engulfing him in a huge hug.  “Congratulations! That’s so exciting! That means we get to see you next year!”

Chris smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes, “Yeah, I’m glad I’ll know at least two people in the city.”

Concern was written all over Kurt’s face, “Let’s get out drinks, then we’ll talk.  I know something’s bothering you.” Chris nodded, but didn’t say anything in response.  

After getting their drinks, the slowing walked back, “Why do I get the feeling you aren’t super excited about NYU?  Or is it just mixed emotions?”

Chris took a deep breath, not wanting to cry, “I’m really happy to get in and especially get a scholarship to NYU.  It was one of my top choices. I’m nervous to go to the city, but I think I’ll do okay. But, Thad won’t be in New York.  He’s not sure where he’s going yet, but he didn’t even apply to any New York schools.”

They had reached the bleachers, so Kurt motioned for them to sit down in a lower section of the stadium so they could talk in private.  Chris continued, “We haven’t been together long, but I really like him. I don’t think we’re to the point in our relationship where it could survive long distance, though.  It’s hard enough right now, not being at the same school.” Chris had tears in his eyes, so Kurt rubbed his back, trying to comfort him. “We decided to stay together for now, but once we go to college...We’ll stay friends, but…”  a tear rolled down Chris’ cheek.  

“I’m so sorry, Chris.  I had no idea.” Kurt continued to rub Chris’ back.

“I found out Wednesday.  I just figured Thad had already said something.”  He wiped his face.

“No, I haven’t seen him since Tuesday.  Well, I mean, I’ve seen him, but not in a setting that would be remotely considered private.  I’m sure that’s not something he wants announced at lunch, French class, or Warbler rehearsal.”

“No, I guess not.  I just feel like our relationship has an expiration date, ya know?  We want to spend our time together, but that also feels like we’re getting close, just to be separated.”

 

Sebastian looked up into the stadium and saw Kurt and Chris sitting by themselves before they got up and moved back to the rest of their family.  He turned to Thad, “Hey, are you and Chris okay?”

Thad shrugged, “I mean, we aren’t fighting, if that’s what you mean.  But, reality is catching up with us. We won’t be together next year, and it’s hard to come to terms with.  He got one of his acceptance letters this week, with a big cheer scholarship. He’s probably going to take it.  It’s great, but it totally sucks, man.”

“I’m really sorry, Thad.  That’s got to be hard. Are you staying together for now?”  

“Yeah. But for next year, long distance is just too hard.  And we haven’t been together long enough to push for it.” Thad sighed.

Sebastian put his hand on Thad’s shoulder, “Let me know if you need anything, okay?  If you want to talk, or need time with friends… Whatever you need.”

Thad nodded, “Yeah, thanks Seb.”

 

Dalton ended up winning 5-0.  Thad and Luke scored the final two goals.  As everyone was walking down, the team was exiting through the gate as they made their way to the locker rooms.  Sebastian had a large bag of soccer balls slung over his shoulder as he walked, and when he saw his family was close, he stopped and waited for them.  

Kurt jogged up, giving him a quick hug, “Congrats on the win, Bas!”  

Sebastian smiled, “Thanks, Babe.”

Kurt stiffened when he saw Shawn approaching.  Sebastian turned to see what had gotten that reaction.  When he saw it was Shawn, he quietly whispered, “It’s okay, Baby.  He’s going to apologize.”

Shawn cleared his throat as he approached, and Kurt took a half step back, slightly behind Sebastian.  Shawn noticed, and it bothered him more than he thought it would that he had caused Kurt to be that wary of him.  “Kurt, I’m really sorry about grabbing you yesterday. And I’m really sorry for being so persistent, when it was obvious that my advances were unwanted.  I promise that I won’t do anything else. I’m... really sorry.”

Kurt’s family had approached as Shawn was talking.  Sam and Puck jogged up ahead of everyone else when they saw Shawn approaching Kurt.   Thad and Cameron stood behind Shawn.  

Kurt quietly responded, “Thank you for the apology.”

Shawn nodded, and then turned to jog off to the locker room.  

Sebastian turned around and softly asked,  “Are you okay? He apologized to me in the locker room, but I told he when he apologized to you, I had to be there.”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah, I’m fine.  I’m glad you were here, though.”

Robert asked, “What’s going on?”

Sebastian looked to Kurt to see if it was okay to share.  Kurt nodded, so Sebastian continued, “Shawn has been hitting on both Kurt and I, but has been pretty relentless with Kurt.  He’s really been making Kurt uncomfortable. We’ve talked to him several times, but nothing worked. He grabbed Kurt in the hall yesterday.  Kurt had another night terror the night before, so he was really on edge, and when Shawn grabbed him, he had a panic attack. Shawn was apologizing for that.”

Robert raised an eyebrow, knowing full well that wasn’t the entire truth.  He smirked the classic Smythe smirk as he looked at Seb, Puck, and Sam, “And he came to the sudden realization that he had been so wrong all on his own?”

Puck shrugged, “He may have had a little help in his epiphany.” 

Kurt bit his bottom lip, looking down at the sidewalk, trying to hide his smile a bit.

Robert laughed, “You guys are awesome.  Boys, go shower. Everyone can come back to our house for dinner.”

They all smiled, and Sebastian kissed Kurt on the temple before he, Cameron, and Thad ran off to shower.   

“I’m going to run up and get my bag.  I’ll see everyone there!” Kurt ran off to get his things before Sebastian could finish in the locker room.

Once Kurt was out of sight, Robert turned to the group, “Okay, tell it to me straight, now that Seb and Kurt are gone.  Is he really doing okay here?”

Nick spoke up, “If you take Shawn out of the equation, he really is doing well here.  He likes his classes, and seems to be thriving. Shawn is just a pushy ass. Excuse my language.  We told him to leave Kurt alone, but it was like a game to him. He would even tell Seb that he would leave Kurt alone if he could have Sebastian.  It’s like he liked messing with their heads.”

Tori was shaking her head, and Robert sighed, “But you convinced him otherwise?”  He looked directly at Puck and Sam.

Sam smiled, looking down, and Puck had what his Ma called his ‘shit-eatin-grin’, as he said, “Yeah, we convinced him.  And we didn’t even touch him.”

Robert chuckled, “Well, that’s good.”

 

When Kurt made it back down, he found Chris leaning up against the wall outside the locker room by the door.  “Hey. Are you doing okay?”

Chris nodded and smiled softly, “Yeah.  I’m just going to enjoy my time with everyone, including Thad.  I’m trying to be happy for myself about the scholarship, too.”

“You should be happy for yourself about that.  It’s a big deal.” He leaned up against the wall next to Chris, “And I think we’re all just trying to enjoy our time together.  That was one of the things that upset me the most about having to come here. I had to give some of that time with my friends at McKinley.  But hey, next year you’ll already have four friends in the city with you. And we have a spare bedroom, so any time you need a night away, you can crash with us!”

Chris smiled at Kurt, “That sounds perfect.  I forgot about Puck and Sugar being there too.  That will be nice.”

“Yep.  And Puck may be at NYU too.  Hopefully he finds out soon.”

 

Back at the Smythe home,  Robert pulled Sebastian aside, “You got a couple of letters from different colleges in the mail today.  Another came yesterday. Whenever you want to open them is fine with me, but I wanted you to know they’re here.”  He handed Sebastian three letters. One from Harvard, one from NYU, and another from Cornell.  

“Thanks, Dad.”

Sebastian went back over to the couch where Kurt was sitting.  As soon as Kurt looked up, he could tell something was on Sebastian’s mind.  “Everything okay?” The group had just been quietly chatting, so everyone looked to Sebastian.

Sebastian nodded as he took a seat next to Kurt, “Yeah.  I got three college letters, though. It’s just another reminder that I’m going to have to make a decision soon.”   Kurt put his hand on Seb’s knee to comfort him.

“I thought you guys were going to New York.  Didn’t you just go visit?” Quinn asked.

Sebastian answered, “We did, and we are.  I’m hoping for Columbia, but that’s not one of the letters.  And I still don’t know what I want to do career-wise. Doctor, writer, journalist…”

Thad leaned back in his seat, “I guess it’s that time of year.  College letters have started arriving, and major life choices begin.”  Chris reached out and grabbed his hand, but didn’t say anything. Kurt saw the action, and it broke his heart knowing they were both hurting.  

Puck said, “I got my letter from NYU this week.”  Sugar smiled softly at him, already knowing.

Kurt sat up, “You did?  Was it good news?” He really wanted it all to work out for Puck and Sugar.  They had such big dreams, but everything was up in the air.  

Puck shrugged, “I haven’t opened it.  I’m too nervous. It’s in my truck since I didn’t want Ma to see it.”

“Well, as an option, you could always open it here with us,”  Sebastian said.  

“I’ll think about.”

“What’s keeping you from opening it, Noah?”  Kurt asked as he laid his head on Sebastian’s shoulder.  Sebastian wrapped his arm behind Kurt and gently stroked his arm.

Puck thought for a minute, “I guess I feel like our future depends on what the letter says.  I need to be New York with Sugar. But I also need to get a degree in business if we want to run the bakery on our own one day.”

“There are always other schools in New York that offer business degrees.  Even online degrees,” Sebastian offered.

“Yeah, I guess.”

Sugar looked to Kurt, “Angel, have you gotten any letters yet?”

Kurt answered, “I don’t know.  I haven’t been home yet.” He looked to Sam to see if he knew.

“I haven’t seen any.  But that doesn’t mean they aren’t there.”  

Tori announced, “Dinner is ready.  Leah, can you go get your dad, please?”  Leah got up and left the room. 

Kurt went to Tori and whispered, “Thank you for saving us.  It was getting depressing.”

“Why?  Is everything okay?”  She frowned with concern.

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  But making life-changing decisions is stressing everyone out.  That, and waiting on a little piece of paper to arrive in the mail to tell you your fate.”

“Yeah.  I know that’s hard.”

 

While eating dinner, Cameron said, “Okay, let’s talk about something a bit more fun!  What’s everyone doing for Spring Break? I’m going home for the first weekend, and then my family and I are headed to Hilton Head for the rest of the week.”

Quinn answered, “My family is headed to Tennessee to visit my Aunt and Uncle.  We’re stopping in the Ashville, N.C. area on the way home for a few days.”

“I’m headed to see my family for a few days, and then come back and work at the garage the rest of the week,”  Sam said.  

“I have a different Spring Break than you guys do, so I’ll be at school that week.  I think Mom and I might do a couple of ‘Girls Nights’ in Columbus when I am off, though.”  Leah smiled.

“That sounds fun.  Shopping, movies, spas.”  Kurt said as he and Leah smiled.

Thad answered, “I’m going home to Georgia.  We may head to the beach for a few days, I’m not really sure.”

Chris said, “Well, we’re going to Lake Michigan.  We rented a beach house on Mackinac Island. I hear it’s beautiful there.”

“I’ve heard the same thing,” Sugar smiled.  She continued, “I think we’re just hanging out at home.  I’ll probably try a few new recipes.”

Puck shrugged his shoulders, “So I’ll be the taste tester.  Otherwise, I’ll be working.”

Everyone looked to Kurt and Sebastian.  Half of them knew already, but the others didn’t.  Sebastian smirked, looking at Kurt, “Where are we going, Babe?”  He winked.

Kurt smiled, “We’re going to Disney World!”  Everyone smiled from ear to ear at the pure excitement on Kurt’s face.  

 

After dinner, everyone gathered in the living room for a little bit.  Sebastian leaned over to Kurt, “I need to talk to you for a minute. Let's go into the office.”

“Okay,”  Kurt said as he took Sebastian’s hand and followed his boyfriend.  

Once they reached the office, Sebastian closed the door and sat next to Kurt on the couch.  “I want to tell you about what happened in the locker room before the game.” Kurt looked worried, “It’s okay.  I just… I kind of lost it on Shawn. He apologized, but I didn’t feel like he really understood. I asked him if he knew why I was so protective of you, and he just stood there.  I told him, and I gave more details than I probably should have. We weren’t the only ones there, Kurt. I’m so sorry.”

Kurt shook his head, “It’s okay, Bas.”  He took his hand and continued, “Really.  It’s probably something Shawn needed to hear to get it through that thick head of his.  And as for everyone else...I don’t know, Bas.  It just doesn’t bother me like I thought it would.”

Sebastian frowned, “Are you sure, Babe?  I mean, I didn’t give every detail, but…they know a lot more now.  It’s no longer rumors.”

Kurt agreed, “You’re right. It’s no longer rumors.  It’s the truth.  All of those things happened, and all of those things are the reason I’m so jumpy and sensitive, and you’re so protective.  We can’t change that.  I’m not mad.  I’m not ashamed either.”

Sebastian kissed Kurt on the forehead, “Okay.  Thank you for understanding, Babe. I’m glad you feel that way.  I’m proud of you for accepting what is our reality, and dealing with it so well.”

Kurt grinned, “Thank you.”

 

They returned to the living room, where everyone sang a few songs, and talked some more.  It was lazy and relaxing, as long as they kept the subject off post-graduation plans. Sebastian offered for everyone to spend the night if they wanted.  Everyone turned down the offer, needing to get to their own beds, and sort through their own thoughts.

“Thanks, man,”  Puck began, “But I have to work in the morning.”

“Me too,”  Sam yawned.

“I’ll be in at noon.  I’ll bring you both some lunch,”  Kurt offered. Both Puck and Sam smiled and nodded.

 

Puck and Sugar were the last out the door.  When they got to Puck’s truck, he sat behind the wheel for a minute.

“Are you okay, Hun?”  Sugar asked.  

Puck stared straight ahead, “Who would have thought this is where I’d be?”

Sugar frowned, “What do you mean?”

Puck turned to look at her, “I mean, when I started high school, I was just a punk-ass kid who hated the world.  My home life was shit, and I basically had nobody. Not anyone that mattered, anyway. Now, I have the girl of my dreams on my arm, my best friends are a gay couple that I would do anything for, I’m sitting in the driveway of a freaking huge-ass mansion, and no one is calling the cops.  I have what’s most important, Sugar. I have real friends, and a real family. Hand me the letter. I’m ready. No matter what it says, we’re making your dreams come true. Seb is right, we have other choices.”

Sugar smiled as she opened the glove box, and handed Puck the letter.  He turned on the overhead lights so he could read it. He opened the letter, unfolding it carefully, like it might shatter into a million pieces.  As he read, Sugar became worried, based on the look on Puck’s face.

“Puck, it’s okay if you didn’t get in,”  she rubbed his back as he leaned forward, putting his arm and forehead on the steering wheel, “Don’t be sad, Hun.  There are other choices. We can do this.”

Puck sat back up and looked at his girl.  Tears streaked down his face as he choked out a sound that Sugar couldn’t quite interpret.  He handed her the letter. As she read, he said, “I got in, Sugar. I got in! AND I got a big scholarship!  $150,000! That’s nearly three years worth of tuition, Sug!”

Sugar’s eyes were quickly scanning the letter.  Her eyes big, and now teary, she looked at Puck, “Puck!  Honey, you did it!! You did it!” She leapt across the seat and wrapped her arms around Puck’s neck as she kissed him everywhere she found skin.

The were both crying tears of joy when Puck pulled back, “Let’s go tell Princess and Seb!”

They got out of the truck and ran to the door, ringing the doorbell.  Leah answered the door, and Puck stepped in, picked her up, and spun her in circles.  He set her down as she giggled. He smiled, “Where is everyone?!”

“Living room!”

They ran in, finding Robert, Tori, and Sebastian sitting on the couches, and Kurt walking back from using the restroom.  Puck ran to Kurt, picking him up and spinning him around like he did to Leah. Sebastian frowned in confusion, but was smiling and chuckling at the sight.  He looked over as Sugar, who headed straight for him jumped in his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.  

“I did it, Princess!”  Puck smiled as he set Kurt down.  He handed Kurt the opened letter, “I got in!”

“Noah!!!”  Kurt looked at the letter then jumped back into Puck’s arms, “Congratulations!  I knew you could do it!”

Robert, Tori, and Leah were smiling so much that their cheeks hurt.  Sebastian squeezed Sugar, before they both got up. Kurt went from Puck’s arms, to Sugar’s.

Sebastian went straight to Puck, wrapping him in a huge hug.  “Congratulation, Puck! I’m so happy for you!”

When they pulled away, Puck said, “It gets better.  I got a $150,000 scholarship! That’s nearly three years that’ll be paid for!  Now I don’t need any excuses or lies to tell Ma. I can tell her I’m going, and go.  She can’t give me a single reason to try to get me to stay. Not they I would.”

Sebastian smiled and hugged Puck again.  “Well, that’s it. We’re all going to New York.  Kurt and I need to figure out where, but we’ll all be there, helping each other along the way.”

Puck and Sugar gave another round of hugs, and everyone congratulated them again.  Puck turned to Sebastian, “Are you going to open your letters, or wait until you get them all?”

“Columbia is the only one that matters to me, so I’ll open them,”  Sebastian grabbed them off the table, and everyone sat down expectantly.  “These two are my backup schools. Let’s start with them.” He opened the NYU letter first.  He read through it as Kurt rubbed his back absentmindedly, “I got in!”  

Kurt looked over his shoulder and read the letter. He saw that Sebastian was offered a full ride scholarship.  He thought it was sweet that Seb wasn’t mentioning that in front of Puck right now. He wrapped his arms around Sebastian and kissed him on the cheek.  “Congrats, Bas!”  

Sebastian took a deep breath,  “Well, now we know we aren’t totally screwed.”  He handed the letter to his parents, who read over it.  They smiled and congratulated him, totally catching on to why he didn’t mention the scholarship.

He took the next letter.  “This one is Cornell. It’s my second choice if I decide to go into Pre Med.”  He opened it a little slower than the previous one, and the anticipation was killing Kurt.  He pulled it out and read it, “I got in. Plus a scholarship.” Sebastian was happy, but he just wasn’t going to be ecstatic unless it was Columbia.  Columbia was his dream.

Kurt hugged him, “Congratulations, Bas.  This is exciting!” He smiled at Sebastian.  

Seb returned the smile, “I know.  I just feel like none of it matters until I get the letter from Columbia.  I know it does matter, because now we know I have a definite working backup, but it just doesn’t feel... _right_ , yet.”

Kurt kissed him on the cheek and rubbed his back some more, “Bas, you’ve been picturing yourself going to Columbia, Med School, specifically, for a long time.  Shouldn’t that be telling you something, when these other letters just don’t feel right? When they just don’t bring you that excitement and joy? I know it’s scary to think of being in school that long, but time really does fly.  You’ll be a great doctor one day. And that day isn’t really that far away.”

Everyone was watching them with small smiles.  Tori had tears in her eyes, watching how wonderful Kurt was with Sebastian.  Everyone knew they loved each other, and saw how great Seb was with Kurt, and helping him with his issues, but getting to see Kurt do the same for Sebastian warmed there hearts.

Sebastian nodded as he looked at Kurt, “You’re right, Babe.”  He leaned over and kissed him. “I’m just not thrilled. I guess now I know why.”  Kurt nodded and kissed him again.

“So, where’s the third letter from, Seb?”  Sugar asked.

Sebastian chuckled, “Harvard.”

Puck raised his eyebrows, “Harvard?!  Would you go there?”

Sebastian smiled, shaking his head, “No.  But I thought it might be a nice ego boost.”  Everyone chuckled. Kurt and Leah both lovingly rolled their eyes.

Sebastian opened the letter and read through it.  He fell back into the couch laughing. Kurt took the letter from him, reading through it as quickly as he could.  He smiled, and laughed, “You got in! You got into Harvard!”

“Sebastian, you just got acceptance letters from two ivy league schools.  Don’t worry about Columbia. I’m sure a third ivy league school will want you too,”  Robert smiled.

 

An hour later, Kurt was in bed when Sebastian walked in carrying a rectangular, white box.  He sat down next to Kurt and handed it to him, “This came while we were at school.”

Kurt sat up, “What is it?”  

“Open it,”  Sebastian smiled.  

Kurt looked at him, and then to the box.  He pulled the tab and ripped it off, allowing the box lid to separate from the bottom half.  He lifted the lid and his eyes widened. His smile grew impossibly big, “Our magic bands for Disney World!”  He bounced in his spot a bit, and Sebastian thought it was the cutest thing ever.  

“Yep!  This means our trip is really close.  Two weeks and you’ll be in the happiest place on Earth!”

“I can’t wait, Bas,”  He leaned over and kissed Sebastian.  “This is going to be so much fun! What else is in here?”  He looked through the box and found some coupons for different places, including free passes for mini-golf.  There were two luggage tags. The one that came with Kurt’s purple magic band had a purple background and Mickey kissing Minnie on a motorbike.  Sebastian’s red magic band came with a luggage tag that was grey, and had Minnie kissing Mickey.  

“I have one more thing for you,”  Sebastian pulled out a flat shipping envelope.  “I ordered these just for fun. I thought we could change them every day if you wanted.”

Kurt pulled out several long stickers that looked almost like watches.  “What are they?”

“They’re decals that we can put on our magic bands.  I got ones that go with each park. Like this one looks like Spaceship Earth in EPCOT, so we can wear it on the day we go there.  This one has a Mickey on it, so you could wear it to Magic Kingdom. Or only use one the whole time. Or none. I just know you love options.”

Kurt smiled at Sebastian, “You think of everything.  Thank you, Bas. For all of it. The trip, the decals, taking care of the arrangements.  You’re amazing.”

“Making you happy, makes me happy,”  Sebastian kissed him, then took all the Disney stuff and put it on his desk.  He climbed back into bed, “Goodnight, Baby. I love you.”

“Goodnight, Bas.  I love you, too.” The boys both snuggled together with smiles on their faces as they drifted off to sleep.

 

………………..

 

It took a whole additional week for Kurt to get any letters from colleges he applied to.  When he went home that weekend after Sebastian’s game on Friday, he had three waiting for him.  NYADA, FIT, and Parsons. Burt had told him that he had letters waiting, so Sebastian came home with him after the game.  Kurt was nervously bouncing his leg up and down.  

“Babe, why don’t you open them before we eat.  Otherwise, you probably won’t eat anything.” Sebastian got up and got the letters, handing them to Kurt, “Do you want everyone in here?”

Kurt shook his head, “No.  Let’s go to my room.” The boys went down and sat on Kurt’s bed.

“Okay, Babe,”  Sebastian encouraged. “You can do this.”

Kurt took a deep breath, “Okay,”  Kurt handed the envelopes to Sebastian, “Hand them to me in random order.”  Sebastian handed one to Kurt. “FIT. Okay,” He opened the envelope and read it carefully, he eyes widened, “I got in!”  

Sebastian smiled, hugging Kurt, “I knew you would!”  He handed another one to Kurt.

“Okay, Parsons, let’s see what you thought.”  He opened the envelope and read it. Kurt bounced up onto his knees, “I got in, Bas!!  I got in!” He fell into Sebastian and kissed him. 

Seb wrapped his arms around him, “You did it!  I’m so proud of you, Baby!” Kurt smiled even bigger and Sebastian’s words.  When he pulled back, he had tears in his eyes. He sat in Sebastian’s lap and finished reading the letter.  “Bas, I got...I got full ride! Holy shit! I got a full ride!”

“Oh my god, Baby!  That’s amazing! I’m so proud of you!”  Sebastian kissed Kurt, flipping him over so he was on top of him.  “You’re amazing. A full ride, Babe. That’s incredible.” Sebastian sat back up, pulling Kurt with him.  “Okay, one more. NYADA.” Sebastian handed it to Kurt.

Kurt sighed, “Okay.  This letter is going to tell us if I have a decision to make or not.”

“Well, you’d still have to decide between Parsons and FIT even if NYADA says no.”

“Nah.  Parsons, for sure.  But this… I don’t know.  Okay. I won’t know until I open it.”  Kurt opened it carefully, but before he unfolded the letter, he took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.  He unfolded it and as he read, tears rolled down his cheeks. He calmly whispered, “I got in, Bas…”

Sebastian sat straight up, “Kurt!”

Kurt looked up to Sebatian with wide eyes, “I got in…”  He handed the letter to Sebastian.

Sebastian read it quickly, “You got in, Baby!  And, you got a two year scholarship that is renewable if you’re successfully accomplish their requirements in the first two years.  That means, this could be a full ride too!” He looked at Kurt, who looked completely frozen. “Babe?”

“I...I got in to my two dream schools.  I don’t know what to do…” The decision Kurt was going to have to make was excruciatingly difficult, and even painful.  He had two dreams. How was he supposed to choose?  

Sebastian took a deep breath, “Well, it looks like we both have big decisions to make.  Maybe we should make a list of pros and cons. But first, let’s go tell the rest of the family.  Dinner probably about ready anyway.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think? Which school and/or career should Sebastian and Kurt choose?


	48. Coming Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are coming together for the boys and their future. That doesn't mean it's all smooth sailing, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments if you liked it! Kudos make me happy too! Thanks for all the comments in the last chapter. They are making me excited for the sequel!

On Sunday, Kurt and Sebastian decided to head to the mall to get some last minute things for their trip before returning to Dalton.  They were going to meet Puck and Sugar for dinner in the food court about an hour before the mall closed. 

When they saw each other, Kurt smiled, “I have exciting news!”

“What, Angel?”

“I got into Parsons and NYADA!”  Kurt exclaimed.

“Oh my God, Angel!”  Sugar jumped into Kurt’s arms.  She hugged him and kissed him.

Puck and Sebastian were both chuckling as Puck grabbed Kurt, pulling him up into a big bear hug.  “I knew you could do it, Princess. I am so happy for you! You’re the most talented guy I know. They had to have loved you.”

Sebastian was all smiles watching them.  He felt like the luckiest guy in the world to be a part of these people’s lives.  “He also got into FIT, but it’s not his top choice.”

“Now comes the hard part of deciding.”  Kurt sighed.

The four of them got their food and sat down together.  Puck started, “Well, we have news, too.”

Kurt and Sebastian looked at them expectantly.  Sugar smiled, “Last night, Daddy called Puck and told him to come over to the house.”

Sebastian interrupted, “He called you himself, or did he ask Sugar to ask you?”

Puck grinned, “He asked me himself.  Impressive, right?”

Sebastian raised his eyebrows, “Yeah, man.”  Kurt smiled at the two of them.  

“Anywaayy,”  Sugar continued as she rolled her eyes, making Kurt chuckle, “He sat us both down and talked to us about New York.  I think he was kind of waiting to see if Puck got accepted into NYU. He laid out two rows of photos, neighborhood information, and building information.”

“Wait.  Back up for a minute, Sugar,”  Kurt said as he tried to gather his thoughts, “Are these buildings for what I think they’re for?!”

Puck and Sugar were both smiling.  Sugar said, “Yes! He’s been doing a ton of investing for the last several years.  Buying and selling properties, flipping properties. All extra, on top of what he normally does.  All of those extra profits were put into a fund that he lovingly calls the ‘Sugar Shack Fund’. He has enough to buy one of these two propertied in New York!  We would have the Sugar Shack bakery on the bottom, and the top floors would be apartments! We would live in one, and the others would be part of the investment that helps pay for the building.”  She reached into her purse and pulled out two files, laying them on the table in front of the boys.  

“Holy cow, Sugar!  That’s amazing!” Sebastian said as she opened the first file.   

“I’m so excited!”  Kurt was bouncing in his chair.  

“This is a five story building in Chelsea.  The top floor is like an open loft, with pretty high ceilings, but it does have walls separating the bedrooms.”  She showed the pictures, “The bottom floor would be the bakery, of course, and the other floors are already apartments that have tenants already.  It’s a nice neighborhood, and Daddy says this one goes with his philosophy of ‘buy the worst property on the best block’. It needs a lot of work in the loft, and the retail area. The exterior needs work as well.  The previous owners started renovations but ran out of funding. But they started with updating the apartments a bit, so they are in good shape.”

“I see potential written all over this, Sugar!  You can do so much with both of those areas. And a fresh coat of paint on the trim, and new awning will do wonders for the outside.” Kurt was looking at the pictures like he was already in love with it.  Sugar was smiling from ear to ear. Puck grinned and wrapped his arm around her.  

Sebastian added, “That’s a great area, Sugar.  Not far from Times Square, only a ten minute subway ride to our place.  Close to NYU for Puck, and to Parsons, if Kurt decides to go there.”

“I know.  I think this one is my favorite,”  Sugar smiled. 

“Mine too.  I like the neighborhood a lot.  From what I’ve seen online, anyway,”  Puck smiled as he rubbed Sugar’s back.  

“What’s the other one like?”  Sebastian asked.  

Sugar closed the first file, and opened the second file, “This one is cute.  It’s a four story building in East Village. There would be a lot less renovations needed to be done, but also less rent coming in since there are fewer tenants.  Our apartment would be on the second floor, which isn’t ideal, in my opinion.”

Puck continued, “It’s a nice neighborhood, but it’s known more for the night life.  That isn’t exactly the crowd that will get up early for breakfast, and it wouldn’t be great for my studying.  I could be wrong about the crowds. Maybe they need a hangover cure of muffins in the morning. But I just get the feeling that it isn’t the right choice.”

“I agree,”  Sebastian said.  “I was never old enough for the night life while we visited New York, but in Paris, the areas of the city that had the clubs and bars, weren’t the same areas with the nice cafes and bakeries.”

“Yeah, and I just don’t think the second floor is ideal.  Plus, you would have so much more space with the Chelsea building.  Plus the location… I think it’s a no brainer.” Kurt smiled.  

Puck and Sugar smiled at each other, then turned back to Kurt and Sebastian.  Sugar said, “Thank you guys. You just confirmed everything we were thinking.  We just hope that the loft renovations can be done by the time school starts in the Fall.”

Sebastian smiled and looked at Kurt who winked at him, knowing what he was thinking, “Well, if it’s okay with Kurt, you guys are welcome to stay with us until the loft is finished.  We have the space.”

Puck raised his eyebrows, “Are you serious?  We wouldn’t want to intrude on you guys. You finally get out of here, just to have us in your face.”

Kurt pulled out his phone, and showed Puck and Sugar some of the pictures from their New York weekend, “Noah, there’s plenty of room.  We won’t be in each other’s faces. If you don’t come barging in on us when our bedroom door is closed, we promise to do the same for you.”

“That’s beautiful, you guys.  Wow,” Sugar was in awe as she looked at the pictures.  Kurt didn’t show them to anyone because he didn’t want to seem like he was bragging.  

Puck shook his head as he leaned his elbows on the table.  He lowered his head into his hands and took a deep breath.

“Are you okay, Noah?”  Kurt asked as Sugar rubbed his back.  

“You know more than anyone that we’re family.  I love you guys like you’re my brothers. But it’s times like this, when you offer something like that, that I can’t believe my life.”  Puck took another deep breath.

Sebastian frowned slightly, “What do you mean?”

“It’s like I told Sugar last week in your driveway when I was opening my letter.  I was a punk-ass kid when I started high school. I had people I thought were my friends, but weren’t.  I was an asshole to a ton of people, Princess included. I didn’t care about my grades. My home life was shit.  Dad left when I was little, and Ma drinks to forget, and is never home. When she is, she’s not exactly loving. Then I joined Glee, and made real friends.  I have a real family. And not just any family.” He chuckled, “My girl’s parents actually like me, and they are including me in all of these plans,” he motioned to the folders, “Last week, I was sitting in my truck with the girl of my dreams, in the driveway of a fucking mansion.  Inside the mansion are my two best friends, who happen to be a gay couple, and their loving parents and sister, who is like a sister to me too. And nobody was calling the cops! I opened the letter to my dream school, and not only get accepted, but I got a scholarship. I, Noah Puckerman, actually did well enough in school to make that happen.  Then I go back into the freaking mansion and get the best greeting a guy could hope for! This is not where I thought I’d be 4 years ago!”

Sebastian busted out laughing, and everyone else soon followed.  Then he smiled, but stopped laughing, “You have earned every single thing you are getting in life right now, Puck.  You have been a hard worker. On the field, at your jobs, in school. YOU earned that scholarship, Puck. And you’ve been a rock for both Kurt and Sugar.  You’ve been there for me too. You’re a foundation in this family. Your true character speaks for itself. If you weren’t as awesome as you are, you couldn’t keep a friend like Kurt, a girlfriend like Sugar, or earn the respect of our families.  But you are awesome. So you’ve earned it.”

Kurt sing-songed, “It’s true, Noah!”

Puck shook his head, “I love all three of you.”

All three responded, “We love you, too.”

 

They were just about to get up to leave, when they heard a man yelling, “MOM!  Mom! What’s wrong!?” The voice, which sounded familiar, was panicking, and a little girl started to cry.  Sebastian got up first and ran to the cries, and everyone followed. On the other side of the escalator, a woman laid collapsed on the ground.  A man was over her, shaking her, “Mom!”

The little girl was crying, standing next to the woman, watching helplessly.  

Sebastian knelt by the woman.  He checked for a pulse, “What happened?!”

“I don’t know.  She just fell over,” the man cried.

“I’m calling 911,”  Puck said in a hurry.

“Cardiac arrest.  She’s not breathing.”  Sebastian said as he started CPR.  

Kurt knelt down next to the little girl, “It’s okay, sweetie.  Why don’t you sit over here with me and my friend, Sugar. We’ll let them help your mommy.”

The little girl, around 5 years old, wrapped her arms around Kurt, “She’s my aunt...  Please help her!”

“Come sit over here with me,”  Kurt said as he picked her up and got her out of the way.  Kurt looked over at the man whose mother wasn’t breathing. It was Rick Nelson.  He froze for a second, their eyes meeting as Kurt held on to Rick’s cousin. Rick frowned, but didn’t say anything. 

“Come sit over here,”  Sugar said in a hurry, seeing who it was, and the look that he gave.  

The mall was nearly empty and the restaurants were all closed.  Only a few people were around, and only a couple stopped. 

Kurt took the little girl over to a nearby table.  “What’s your name?” he asked sweetly.

“Aubrey,” the little girl sniffled.   
“That’s a beautiful name.  My name is Kurt. And this is my best friend, Sugar.”

“Hi,”  the little girl said through her tears.  

“Hi, honey.  More help is on the way, okay?  We’ll get your aunt to the hospital as soon as possible.” Sugar said with a soft smile. 

Aubrey turned toward Kurt, burying her face in his neck.  He wrapped his arms around her and gently rocked.  

Sebastian continued to do CPR.  He stopped to see if there was a rise and fall to her chest after a couple of minutes.  He saw nothing. He checked her pulse. Nothing. He continued compressions again.  

Puck got off the phone with 911, “They’ll be here soon.  Can I do anything to help?”

“If they aren’t here in a minute, you can take over compressions for a bit.”  He looked up at the man, just then realizing who he was. Rick was looking over toward Kurt and Sugar.  Sebastian followed his line of site while doing compressions, and saw Kurt rocking the little girl. “Puck,”  Sebastian said, nodding up toward Rick.

Puck looked at Rick, then over toward Kurt and Sugar.  He frowned, stepping in front of Rick, “Got a problem with what you see?  If you ask me, there are more important things happening.”

Rick looked down at his mom, then to Sebastian, and back to his mom.  “No,” he whispered. “No problem.”

“Puck, check for a pulse.”  Sebastian said as he continued giving compressions.  

Puck got back on the ground, and felt for pulse below her jaw.  When he felt nothing, he reached for her wrist and checked. “I don’t feel anything.  Switch with me and you can check.” Puck began the chest compressions, and Sebastian felt for a pulse.  Nothing that he could feel.  

After another minute, Sebastian said, “Stop”.  

Puck didn’t hesitate, and did what he was told.  

Rick frowned as he yelled, “No!  Don’t stop!”

Sebastian didn’t take his eyes off the woman, “I’m just checking to see if her chest rises with ventilation.”  Sebastian had gone back to doing compressions while he spoke. He saw nothing.

Puck turned to Rick, “He was seeing if she was breathing.”

A couple of minutes later, he checked again.  He was pretty sure he saw her chest rise. He checked for a pulse.  It was faint, but it was there. “I think we’ve got something.” He continued CPR.  

“If she’s breathing, shouldn’t you stop?”  Rick asked.

“No.  It’s too faint.  It won’t hurt her to keep going.”  Sebastian continued as he spoke.  

Aubrey was crying a new set of tears, so Kurt began to softly sing to her _I See The Light_ from Tangled.  She sniffed, “You have a pretty voice.”  

“Thank you, sweetie,”  Kurt smiled, then continued to sing.  

Officers Miller and Weston came running into the food court, “Sebastian?!”

Sebastian looked up, “Yeah.  It’s been at least 5 minutes.  She has a faint pulse and very shallow breathing.”  He didn’t stop.  

The paramedics were there only second after the officers.  “Good job, kid,” one of them said as Sebastian stopped and moved back, giving them room.  A paramedic used a defibrillator to analyse whether the woman was breathing, and it was determined that she was.  They asked for her name and age, which Rick answered.

As they were loading her onto a stretcher, Officer Miller said, “Sebastian, you saved her life!”

Sebastian nodded to Puck, “I had help.”

Puck shook his head, “Nah, man.  That was all you. I wouldn’t have known what to do.  I just followed instructions.”  

Officer Weston clapped Sebastian on the back, “Good job, Sebastian.”  

Sebastian quietly said, “Thank you.”

One of the paramedics asked, “Is anyone with her?”

Rick peeled his eyes away from Sebastian, looked at the paramedic, and said, “I am.”

“We’re taking her to Lima Memorial.  Are you riding with us?”

Rick shook his head, “I’ll meet you there.”  He picked up his mom’s purse, looking for the car keys, as the paramedics rolled his mom away to the ambulance.

Kurt picked up Aubrey and walked back over to where everyone was standing.  He tried to set her down next to Rick, but she didn’t want to let go. “Sweetie, you need to go with Rick now.”

“No, Kurt.  Please keep singing to me.”  Aubrey was still holding on, not letting go. 

Rick was hesitant as to what to do.  

Sebastian asked, “Does she live around here?  We could take her home.”

Officer Miller frowned at Rick’s lack of… well...anything.  “Rick, is it? I’m Officer Miller. Can we do anything to help?”

Rick ignored her.  He reached for Aubrey’s arm, causing Kurt to flinch a bit,  “Come on, Aubrey, we have to go.”

She clung to Kurt even tighter.  He was standing, holding her. He bent down, trying to set her on the ground, but she wrapped her legs around him.  “Aubrey, sweetie, you have to go now. Put your legs down for me, okay?”

“No, Kurt.  I want to stay with you and Sugar.”  

“I know it’s scary, Aubrey, but it’s time to go.”

Officer Weston asked, “Is there someone at home we can call?  Anyone we can take Aubrey to?”

“My dad is at home.  I’ll call him to meet me at the hospital.  Aubrey’s mom lives in Cloverdale. It’ll take awhile to get here.”

“I’ll tell you what, Rick,”  Officer Weston said, “I’ll walk you to your car.  You give me Aubrey’s mom’s phone number and we’ll have her come pick her up while we work on getting her to let go of Kurt.  You call your dad as we walk out, and you can meet him at the hospital. Are you okay to drive?”

Rick nodded.  He gave one last look at Kurt and Aubrey and then turned and walked away.  

Once he was out of ears shot, Puck whispered, “Stupid homophobic asshole.”

Sugar stage whispered, “Puck!” as she motioned to Aubrey.  

“Sorry!”  Puck rolled his eyes.  

Officer Miller looked between everyone.  Kurt was a little paler than normal, but was still doing a good job comforting Aubrey.  

Sebastian approached Kurt, “You okay, Babe?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.”  He walked over to sit in a chair and Aubrey didn’t really move.  She was wrapped around him like a koala in a tree. He rubbed her back, “Aubrey, sweetie, can you let go now?  You don’t have to go anywhere until your mommy gets here, but you don’t have to stay with me if you don’t want.”

“I want to.”

“Okay, sweetie.”

Sebastian walked up to Kurt, ran his hands through the sides of his hair, and pulled a chair up next to him.  He put a hand on Kurt’s knee. Kurt closed his eyes for a few seconds, soaking up the warmth and love he could feel from Sebastian’s touch.  

Sebastian smiled softly, “You’re good with her.”

He looked as Seb, smiling softly in return, “You saved her life, Bas.”

Sebastian looked down at the tile floor and nodded.  He muttered, “Yeah.”

“You were amazing.”

Sebastian continued to look down at the ground, deep in thought.

 

Puck motioned for Officer Miller to come closer to him.  When she did, Puck whispered, “The dude is Rick Nelson. Kurt had to transfer to Dalton last month because a week after he returned to school once he was out of the hospital, Rick cornered him in the bathroom and told him he should have been the one to die, and threatened to ‘take care of it’.  He’s also given Seb and Kurt, as well as our friends Nick and Jeff, a hard time when the ate at Breadstix. He told them to get out. Called them fairies. Rick used to bully Kurt at school a lot. Shoved him into lockers and shit. So now this ‘fairy’ saved his mom’s life, and the other ‘fairly’ he hates, has his cousin.  That was the tension you felt.”

Officer Miller shook her head, “God, I hate this town sometimes.  I have to remind myself that the good outweighs the bad. But that kind of thing makes it hard.”

“Well, the four of us are moving to New York City in a few months.  Hopefully those two don't have to deal with too much there. They went a couple weekends ago, and Kurt couldn’t believe no one even batted an eye at them holding hands all over the city.”

“I’m so happy for them.  They deserve it.” She looked at Puck, “You and Sugar do too.  You are all good kids. The world needs more people like you.”

 

A few minutes later, Officer Weston returned.  “Aubrey’s mom is on her way. It should be about 30 minutes now.”

Aubrey didn’t move, but asked, “Kurt, can you sing the Rapunzel song for me again while we wait on Mommy?”

Kurt smiled a soft smile, “Sure.  I can do you one better. My friends, Puck, Sugar and Sebastian sing too.  So how about they join me?”

Aubrey nodded, “Yeah.”

Kurt started to sing, and everyone else joined in.  Officer Miller recorded a little of it on her phone.  She and Officer Weston enjoyed the show.

Soon, Aubrey was asleep on Kurt’s shoulder.

When Aubrey’s mom showed up, Kurt gently woke Aubrey up, and she finally let go of him.  The mom thanked them all for saving her sister, and then thanked them for comforting and caring for Aubrey.  She shook Sebastian’s hand one more time as Aubrey clung to her this time instead of Kurt, “Thank you so much.  Really.”

Sebastian nodded, but didn’t say much.  

 

Later that night, when Kurt and Sebastian were sitting on the couch on the dorm commons area, Kurt got a Twitter notification.  Kurt said, “We were all four tagged in a video.” he paused and read it, “It says, ‘Have faith in the younger generation. @SebSmythe and @NPuck saved a woman's life by administering CPR, while @KEHummel and @SugarMotta comforted the woman’s niece.  They continued to use their beautiful voices to comfort the little girl while we waited for her mother to arrive. #FaithRestored’.”

Kurt looked at Sebastian, who was sitting quietly as they watched the video.  Once it was over, Seb rested his head on the back of the couch, but remained silent.  Kurt watched him, “Bas, please tell me what’s bothering you.”

“I don’t know, Babe.”  Sebastian was completely melancholy.

Kurt ran his fingers through Sebastian’s hair, “Can I do anything for you?”

Sebastian shook his head ‘no’.  

Kurt scooted back to the corner of the couch held out his arms, “Come here.  Let me hold you.”

Sebastian turned to look at Kurt.  He said nothing as he scooted over toward his boyfriend and laid his head on his chest.  Kurt wrapped his arms around him. One arm wrapped across Sebastian’s chest and the other was wrapped so that Kurt could stroke his hair.  Sebastian closed his eyes and soaked up the love he could feel coming from Kurt. Kurt began to hum, and Sebastian quickly fell asleep.

Kurt sat wondering what was bothering Sebastian so much.  It hurt him to know that Sebastian was hurting somehow. He needed Seb to talk to him.  

Kurt looked at the clock and noticed it was almost curfew.  He stroked Sebastian’s face, “Bas, it’s almost time for curfew.  We need to head back.”

“Mmm,”  Sebastian moaned as he turned into Kurt a bit.  Kurt smirked and kissed Seb on the top of his head.  

“Okay, Bas.  We need to get going.  Do you want Nick and I to switch rooms tonight?  We can move this party to your bed.” Kurt was gently nudging Sebastian.

Seb sat up, then immediately leaned over, putting his head in his hands.  Kurt was rubbing his back. Finally he sat up and turned toward Kurt, “Yeah.  I’d like that.”

 

A little while later, just in time for curfew, Kurt and Nick had switched rooms.  Sebastian sat on the edge of his bed, so Kurt sat next to him and rubbed his back again.  He spoke softly, “Bas,” he took a deep breath, “please tell me what’s on your mind. What can I do for you?”  Sebastian just shook his head. Kurt stood and then walked to the end of the bed. He knelt, head bowed, hands behind his back, “Please, Sir.  What can I do for you?”

Sebastian had tears in his eyes as he got up and stood in front of Kurt.  He ran his hand through Kurt’s hair as he whispered, “Always so good.” He knelt down in front of Kurt, with his left knee in between Kurt’s knees.  He cupped Kurt’s face and rested their foreheads together. He quietly tried to explain how he was feeling, “When it comes to my goals, I always seem to know what I want. I always know how to get it, too.  But now, struggling with what I want to do for a career... That’s huge. I’ve always known. And this doubt...this question inside me... It’s so unlike me. It’s so foreign to me that I just don’t know what to do with myself.”  Sebastian kissed Kurt on the lips, soft and sweet. He sat back on his feet, hanging his head as a tear fell.

“May I speak freely, Sir?” Kurt spoke softly as he gathered his thoughts on how to comfort his Dom.

“Yes, Baby.”

“I think you know deep down that a doctor is what you’re meant to be.  I think not knowing about Columbia yet hasn’t helped. Between that and your fear that we won’t have enough time together, it just pushed doubt in.  But what I saw tonight...Sir, you were in your element. I know a pediatrician doesn’t do CPR every day, but taking care of people, helping when they need it...That’s you, Sir.  I will be here for whatever choice you make, no matter how long it takes to make that dream come true.”

“So good for me.  Thank you, Baby.” Sebastian cupped Kurt’s face and brushed his cheekbones with his thumb.  He leaned in and kissed Kurt again.  

“How may I please you, Sir?” Kurt whispered with his eyes still half closed from the kiss.

“Mmm,”  Sebastian groaned, “Baby,”  he moved his thumb from Kurt’s cheekbone down to his mouth.  He ran his thumb along the delicate skin, watching it pull, “Open.”  Kurt opened his mouth slightly, and Sebastian slipped his thumb in, gripping his fingers under his jaw, he gently opened Kurt’s mouth further.  He ran the pad of his thumb across Kurt’s tongue. “This mouth can do such amazing things.” He pulled his thumb out and ran across Kurt’s lips again, “Right now, I want it around my cock.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Before Sebastian stood, he kissed Kurt with so much passion, that he almost just laid Kurt down to take him right there on the floor.  He always felt better with Kurt in his arms, and between his words of reassurance and his whispered offer to please, Sebastian was feeling a bit better.  More like himself.

He stood as he lowered his pants and let them drop.  He stroked himself a couple of times as Kurt straightened himself to the perfect height.  Kurt licked his lips in anticipation, anxious to taste his Dom’s flesh in his mouth. 

Sebastian rubbed his cock on Kurt’s lips.  It had become one of his favorite sights, and Kurt knew not to open until he felt that pull on his lips as he waited for his command.  “Open”

Kurt opened his mouth as Sebastian grabbed the back of his head to guide him.  He wrapped his lips around Seb’s cock. He couldn’t help the moan that escaped him as Sebastian pushed all the way in.  He was delicious.  

Sebastian continued to fuck Kurt’s mouth, “God, Baby, you look so gorgeous with my cock in your mouth.  You take it so well.” Kurt moaned in response. “Always so good for me. So perfect, Baby.” The warmth Kurt felt from these words was indescribable.  

Several minutes later, Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hair and pulled him off.  “Stand and strip. I want you on your back in the middle of the bed.”

“Yes, Sir.”  

As Kurt followed the commands, Sebastian took off the rest of his clothes.  He reached for the lube in the nightstand and then knelt between Kurt’s knees.  He pushed his knees up and out, then bent down to kiss Kurt again, “I love you, Baby.”  He gently pressed a lubed finger into Kurt.

Kurt gasped, “I love you, too, Sir.  So much.”

Sebastian prepped Kurt for several minutes while kissing him, and finding all of his favorite spots on his neck to be nibbled.  Kurt was writhing beneath him by the time Seb felt he was ready. Sebastian lubed himself a bit, then lined himself up, pushing in gently as he continued to kiss the love of his life.  Once he was in all the way, he gave Kurt a minute to adjust. He ran his hand through Kurt’s hair, and whispered, “You are so beautiful, Kurt. I’m so lucky.”

“I’m the lucky one, Sir.”  Kurt lovingly stroked Sebastian’s face.  He moved his hips, letting Seb know he was ready.  

Sebastian began thrusting inside of him.  Slow at first, and then faster as the need for pleasure consumed him.   

Kurt was trying so hard to be quiet, but it felt so good.  Having his Dom, the love of his life, inside of him, hearing his words of love and praise, Kurt didn’t know how long he’d be able to last.  Apparently, Sebastian was in the same situation. He grabbed Kurt’s erection and began stroking him with the same rhythm of his thrusts. “Sir!”  Kurt cried out.  

“That’s it, Baby.  Cum for me! Now!”

With that, Kurt was coming hard, and Sebastian followed immediately, calling out Kurt’s name as he came.  He collapsed on top of Kurt, “Thank you, Baby. I love you.”

Kurt was still panting, “I love you, too, Sir.  So very much.” He ran his fingers through Seb’s hair, happy that he seemed to be better now.   

Sebastian got a cloth and cleaned Kurt up.  After throwing it in the hamper, he returned to Kurt and held him close.  He rubbed his back as he spoke, “Thank you for helping me through this, Babe.  For offering your mind and body for me.  For being so good for me.”  He ran his fingers through Kurt’s hair as he spoke. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

”You don’t have to ever find out.”

…………….

 

Monday was a little bit weird for Kurt and Sebastian both.  People who followed them on Twitter saw the video they had been tagged in, and they all seemed to have a ton of questions.  They gave a general answer to most people. Something like, ‘A woman went into cardiac arrest. Sebastian and Puck performed CPR while Kurt and Sugar helped calm down the little girl.’  There was no mention of who’s mother it was, except to their closest friends.   

After school, Sebastian and the team were down on the field practicing.  He was working with Cameron, Luke, and Thad, who were the three main “attackers”, or forward positions.  They were trying to score, and Sebastian was trying to block. The rest of the team was working on fundamentals.  

At the end of practice, Coach Adams blew the whistle and the team gathered around.  As the coach was talking to the team about some issues they needed to work on, Coach Janson, the assistant coach, approached saying, “Smythe, there’s someone here to see you.  Says he needs to talk to you now.”

Everyone looked over toward the gates to the field.  Sebastian sighed. “Don’t let him in the building,” was the first thing out of his mouth.  

“Who is that?”  Coach Adams asked.  

“Rick Nelson.  It was his mom we did CPR on last night.  But he’s also the reason Kurt is here. He threatened to kill him.  He’s a homophobic asshole.  So _don’t_ let him in the building.”  Sebastian looked around at everyone.

“Do you want to talk to him, or do you want us to send him away?”  Coach Adams asked.

Sebastian thought for a minute, “I’ll talk to him.”

“Well you’re not doing it alone,”  Cameron said.

Shawn was looking over at the guy, wondering if it really was a smart idea for Sebastian to talk to this guy.

“Do you want me to go over with you?”  Coach Janson asked. 

“No.  He probably wouldn’t talk if you did.  But don’t go far.” Sebastian said, “Cameron and Thad?” 

Both agreed immediately.  “You don’t have a choice,”  Cameron said. He wasn’t happy that Rick was there, and there was no way he was going to let him get inside.

“Alright.  We’ll stay here, and then when you’re done talking, we’ll walk him to the parking lot,”  Coach Adams said.

“Okay, thanks.”  He looked at Justin, who he knew was friends with Nick, “When you get to the locker room, call Nick and have him find Kurt and stay with him until I get there.  Have him make sure Kurt doesn’t come outside.” Justin nodded.

The team headed off the field toward the gate, and Rick felt like shrinking a bit at the looks the team was giving him.  Sebastian, Thad, and Cameron stood in front of Rick. Rick looked at the two other boys and frowned.

“They stay if you want to talk to me.”

Rick nodded, “Yeah, okay.  Um… I just wanted to thank you.  You know, for what you did for my mom.  She’s still in the hospital, but she’s doing okay.  It was a heart attack.”

Sebastian studied Rick for a minute, then said, “You’re welcome.  I just did want any decent human being would do. I’m glad she’s okay.”

“Um, can we,”  he turned back to look at the building for a second before continuing, “can we go in and talk to Kurt?”

“No,”  All three boys answered at once.  Seb added, “That’s not going to happen.”

Rick nodded, “Can he come out here?  I just want to thank him for helping Aubrey… and apologize.”

“I’ll call him. If he says ‘yes’, then you say what needs to be said and leave.  No insulting him. No threatening him. Don’t even think of touching him.  If he says ‘no’, then you leave, and don’t come back. Ever.”

Rick nodded.

Sebastian reached in his duffel bag, got his phone, and dialed Kurt.  Rick listened to Seb’s side of the conversation. “Hey, Baby… No, I’m still down at the field.  Hey, um, Rick showed up at the end of practice...It’s okay. He wanted to thank me... Cam and Thad are with me, and coaches are nearby.  They’ll walk him to the parking lot in a little bit... He wants to thank you too, and apologize. Is that something you want? It’s 100% up to you…...Okay.  Is Nick with you?...Okay, we’re at the filed. Have them walk you out...Love you, too, Babe.” Sebastian looked at Rick, “He’ll be here in a few minutes.”

Rick nodded, and everyone just stood there for a about 10 seconds before Cameron couldn’t handle it anymore.  “Why do you hate Kurt so much? He’s one of the nicest people I know.”

Rick just looked at him for a minute, “Are you gay too?”

Cameron smirked and Seb rolled his eyes, “No.  Actually, I’m dating Quinn Febray.” Rick raised his eyebrows in surprise.  “Kurt is my friend, and my roommate. Why would you treat someone as amazing as him with such little respect?”

Rick didn’t answer.  He crossed his arms, and looked down at the ground as he slowly paced in a circle-like formation.

Kurt came out of the building with Nick and Jeff on either side of him.  A couple more people from the soccer team came back out, but hung back.  Sebastian noticed that one of them was Shawn. Maybe he really was beginning to understand.

Kurt came down the sidewalk and grabbed Sebastian’s offered hand when he reached him.  He stood slightly behind Seb’s shoulder. Kurt and Rick were not looking at each other.  “Well?” Sebastian encouraged.

Rick sighed, then cleared his throat, “Kurt, thank you for taking care of Aubrey last night.  You’re all she’s talked about since, apparently.”

Kurt glanced up at Rick, “You’re welcome.”

Rick looked uncomfortable, and was shifting his weight back and forth, “And, I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you.”  He sighed, like it kind of hurt him to do that.

“Why?”  Kurt asked.

“What?”  Rick frowned.

“Why are you sorry?  Are these just words, or do they mean something?”

Rick spoke without looking up, “Aubrey’s mom heard me say something to my dad last night about you.  She pulled me out of the hospital room and chewed me a new one. Then Coach Sylvester saw the tweet with you guys in it and asked Puck who it was you guys saved.  He told her, and she basically told me that I was lucky that Sebastian and Puck are good enough people to save the mom of someone who had been so cruel to you. A few people said something to me about it, actually.  So, I guess, I thought about that.” He looked up at them both, “I was taught that what you are, is a sin. And I’m not sure I’ll ever think anything different. But what you both did was pretty amazing. And my aunt told me that what I did to you was a sin too.  And that it’s not my place to judge you based on who you love. I’m kind of thinking that maybe all these people can’t be wrong. I don’t have it all figured out yet, but I know you did something nice when you didn’t need to, and I didn’t have a right to do what I did.  To quote me aunt, ‘If God doesn’t like it, He will deal with it’. So I’m sorry.”

Kurt nodded, “Apology accepted.”

Sebastian sighed, “Look, Rick.  Last time someone apologized to Kurt and he accepted the apology, we ended up both getting restraining orders against him. I know this is different, but just so you know, none of this means that you are welcome here.  I fully expect for you to have no further contact with either of us.”

Rick nodded, “Yeah, I just felt this needed to be done.  I won’t bother you anymore.” He turned around to leave. The coaches had been waiting at the top of a small incline in the sidewalk.  They followed Rick to the parking lot.

Sebastian looked to Kurt, “Are you okay?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  I’m shocked. But I’m fine.”

“Alright, I’m going to shower.  I’ll meet you at dinner?” Sebastian squeezed Kurt’s hand.

“Okay.”  Kurt kissed Seb quickly on the cheek before he jogged off with Cameron and Thad.  Kurt went back in with Nick and Jeff.

 

At dinner, Kurt was surprised at how many guys from the soccer team stopped by their table to make sure they were okay.  He thought it was really sweet, and was glad to be making some friends outside of the Warblers.  

They had just cleaned up from dinner and were headed out the door, when Robert came around the corner.  “Dad! What are you doing here?”

Robert hugged Seb and Kurt as he smiled.  He hugged Kurt before saying,  “Well, two things came in the mail for you today.  One was a package, and one was your Columbia letter.  We brought both.”

“We?”  Sebastian frowned, looking behind his dad.  He was getting nervous with every second.

“Your mom and Leah are in the commons room.  I didn’t think bringing Leah into the cafeteria was a good idea.”

Kurt chuckled, “You’re so right about that.”  He took Sebastian’s hand, “Are you ready?”

Sebastian paused, “No.  But let’s do it anyway.”

They made their way to the commons room and greeted Tori and Leah.  Tori handed Sebastian the letter, “It’s going to be an acceptance letter.  But if it’s not, just remember that you have back ups.”

Sebastian nodded, took the letter, then sat down on the couch next to Kurt.  His hands were shaking as he opened it. He pulled it out, but didn’t unfold it.  He took a deep breath as Kurt put his hand on his back to comfort him. “Okay,” he opened it and read as quickly as he could.  Tears instantly flooded his eyes and streaked down his cheeks as he fell backwards into the couch. He quickly handed it to Kurt as his parents and sister watched with anticipation.  Kurt read it quickly. He squealed and pounced on Sebastian, “You did it! You got in!!” His parents and sister cheered and piled on top of the boys in one big group hug.   

Everyone got up a few seconds later.  Robert took the letter and read through it.  “Seb, you got a scholarship too! A two year renewable scholarship.  Contingent on GPA only. Holy cow, Seb. I am so proud of you!” He pulled him up and hugged Sebastian tight.  When he let go, he turned to Kurt and hugged him too, “I’m also proud of you too, Kurt.  I don’t know what you’re going to choose, but the best of both fields want you on their team.  That’s really impressive.” 

“Thank you,”  Kurt smiled. He loved them all so much.  They had all congratulated him over the weekend, but for Robert to take the time to do it again, meant the world to him.  

Kurt turned to Sebastian, “Do you feel better now?”

Seb smiled and nodded, “Yeah.  I’m going to Columbia, and I’m doing Pre Med.”  Kurt smiled and kissed him, making Seb smile ever bigger, matching the other smiles in the room.

 

Leah smiled, “So what’s in the box?”

Sebastian looked over at and read the return address label.  “Oh, that’s something I got for Kurt.” He handed it to Kurt, who nearly dropped it.  

“Holy cow, Bas.  What’s in this? I wasn’t expecting it to be heavy!”  Kurt sat down with the box in his lap.  

“Well, after the letter, it’s kind of anticlimactic, but I think it’s something that might help you.”  Seb sat next to Kurt. Everyone else sat and watched.  

Kurt opened it, flipping the lid back to look inside.  He frowned in confusion, “A blanket?  But the box is so heavy.”

Sebastian pulled the blanket out and set the box aside, “It’s a weighted blanket.  It has little glass beads in it.  It helps with stress, anxiety, PTSD. It’s soothing.” Kurt looked at him like he hung the moon.  Sebastian smiled. “Lay down. We’ll try it.” Sebastian stood, and Kurt laid down on the couch. Sebastian unfolded the blanket and laid it on top of Kurt.

Kurt let out a sigh and closed his eyes.  He said nothing for several long seconds. Everyone sat watching him.  

“Babe?  What do you think?”  

“You can just leave me right here…”  Kurt sighed again in contentment.  

Everyone chuckled, and Seb said, “Well, that won’t be happening.  But I’m glad you like it.”  

Kurt opened his eyes and smiled softly at Sebastian, “I love it.  Thank you, Bas.”

“Let me try!”  Leah said, as she jumped under the blanket with Kurt, cuddling up to him.  Sebastian just shook his head. “Oooh, this _is_ nice.”

A minute later, Kurt said, “Okay, Leah.  Get up before someone comes in and questions everything they know about me.”  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter...Disney World!!!!


	49. Disney - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys head to Walt Disney World!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added a couple of links in the story, in case you're a visual person like me.  
> The phone call the boys get on their first night in Disney, will play a big part in the sequel to this story. If you plan on sticking with me for the sequel (New York), keep that in mind!  
> Comments and Kudos = LOVE!

The rest of the school week was excruciatingly slow.  On Wednesday, Kurt met with his McKinley friends, like always.  He announced that he got accepted into Parsons, NYADA, and FIT. Everyone was so happy for him.  He was impressed that Finn kept it a secret. He knew Sam, Puck, and Sugar could, but Finn, not so much.  He would just get overly excited about stuff and let things fall out of his mouth.  

Everyone was equally excited when he told everyone that Sebastian had gotten accepted to Columbia with a scholarship, and he decided on PreMed.  They all asked about what happened with Rick’s mom, but he didn’t have much to add that Puck and Sugar didn’t already tell them. He did tell them about Rick coming to Dalton, though.  They were all surprised. Puck was especially grateful to Cameron, Thad, and Niff for making sure he was okay.

A couple of other people had gotten letters too.  Quinn had gotten accepted into Yale, and Santana had gotten a cheerleading scholarship to the University of Louisville.  She was holding out for something else, though. She couldn’t picture herself in Kentucky for the next four years. She was waiting to hear from the University of Florida, and Boston University.  

Kurt was both surprised and touched when Rachel stopped him before everyone left.  

“Kurt, congratulations on getting into NYADA.  And a scholarship! That’s really amazing. You deserve it.”

“Thanks, Rach.  Have you heard from anywhere else?  Do you know what you are going to do?”

Rachel shook her head and looked down, “I...I didn’t apply anywhere else.”

Kurt’s eyes widened, but he quickly schooled his expression.  “Rachel, you can always apply to a school that has rolling admissions.  It’s not too late. Or you could just go to New York and audition your butt off.”

She nodded.  “I’ll look into it.”  Kurt’s heart broke for her.  She looked so defeated.  

 

……………………..

 

On Thursday, Kurt and Sebastian left Dalton right after Warbler rehearsal.  They went to have dinner with the Hudmels, since their flight was right after school the next day and they wouldn’t be seeing them until they returned.  Kurt packed all of his things in a smaller suitcase before dinner started. After dinner, they were going to the Smythe home to add Kurt’s things into a large suitcase, combining it with Sebastian’s things.  They would leave the bag in the trunk of Tori’s car, since she was taking them to the airport. All they would need is their carry on bags.  

At dinner, everyone discussed their plans for the week.  Burt and Carol asked lots of questions about Disney, and Kurt and Sebastian answered them with ease.  They had everything planned out that needed to be. A lot of their free time had been spent happily planning this trip.  

“You boys have fun.  You both deserve this.  Especially after the week you’ve both had.”  Burt hugged them both.  

“We will, Dad.”

“Definitely.  I can’t wait.” Sebastian smiled.

 

………………….

 

“Today is the day!”  Kurt smiled as his alarm went off.

“You’re too happy for this early in the morning,”  Cameron grumbled as he covered his head with a pillow.

Kurt rolled his eyes.  He walked over and leaned over Cameron slightly.  He whispered, “There’s no such thing as too happy when you’re going to Disney World!  Sorry I woke you.”

Cameron grunted something in his response, but Kurt was already in the bathroom getting ready.  

 

Kurt met Sugar downstairs, and they got the displays ready.  They talked about the plans of everyone in the group, and Kurt expressed his worry about Rachel.  Sugar said she’d talk to her. Sebastian brought them their coffee like always, and there were lots of hugs goodbye, and promises to text pictures.  

 

The rest of the day went at a snail’s pace.  In history class, Mr. Schlotman chuckled at him, “Going to New York again?  You seem a bit excited. And distracted.”

Kurt smiled, “Sorry.  We’re going to Disney World!  I’m sooo excited. But this school day is taking sooo long to get through.”

Cameron laughed, “He literally woke up like this.”  

Shawn sat in the back and smiled.  He wondered if this was the real Kurt.  Someone who wasn’t uncomfortable, or scared.  He liked it. But he also felt bad that he had kept this part of Kurt away for awhile. 

 

The rest of the afternoon was slow, but eventually, it was time for dismissal.  Both boys were super excited. They headed to their rooms, changed clothes, got their bags that were ready and waiting, and headed out front where Tori was already parked.

“Do you have the magic bands?”  Kurt asked.

“Yep.  As long as we have those, if we forgot something else, we’ll be okay.”  Seb handed Kurt his magic band, and he tucked it safely in his carry-on bag.  “Are you nervous about flying this time, Babe?”

“A little.  But now that I know what to expect, I’ll be okay.”  Kurt smiled softly.

 

When they got to the airport, Sebastian got their bag out of the trunk and they both hugged Tori goodbye.  They checked their bag and checked in at the terminal. As they walked to security, Kurt looked at his ticket.  

“Bas,”  He held up the ticket and indicated where it had the first class seat. “First class?”

Sebastian stopped, “Babe.  We’ve talked about this. You won’t be flying economy with me.  Now stop worrying about money. Seriously. It’s all good. When I said I was going to spoil you, I wasn’t kidding.”

Kurt sighed, “Okay.  But it’s going to take some getting used to.”

Sebastian put his arm around Kurt as they began to walk again, “I know.”

 

Kurt did much better on this flight.  He still wouldn’t say he loved flying, but at least now he knew what to expect.  This time, when he looked out the window during the descent, he saw palm trees. The palm trees at Jungle Jim’s were the only real palm trees he had ever seen, so this was exciting.  They put their magic bands on before getting off the plane.

They made their way to the Magic Express area.  A cast member scanned their bands, and directed them which line to get in for the Grand Floridian.  “This bus is my favorite bus in the whole world. It takes you to all the fun,” Sebastian smiled. Kurt just smiled and bounced a little in anticipation.  
As they waited, Kurt asked Sebastian, “Are you sure we don’t need to pick up our luggage?”

“I’m sure, Babe.  The luggage comes straight to our room.  That’s what the yellow tag was for. It’s all part of the magic,”  he winked. Kurt chuckled and shook his head. Sebastian checked in to the resort via the Walt Disney World app on his phone, so they could go straight to the room when they got there.

After a fifteen minute wait, that seemed like an hour since Kurt was so excited, their bus finally arrived.  Their bands were scanned a second time, and they entered the bus after handing their carry-on's to the cast member loading the luggage.  Kurt smiled as the bus driver smiled at him, tipping his hat. The ride took nearly 45 minutes, but Kurt still enjoyed looking out the window and seeing the palm trees and blue skies.  

The bus driver smiled and announced that they would officially be entering Walt Disney World in a minute, driving under the famous arched sign.  The boys watched out the front window of the bus and smiled when it became official. They were in Walt Disney World!

Several minutes later, they were pulling in front of the Grand Floridian.   Kurt was quickly reminded why the resort had the word ‘Grand’ in it. “Oh my gosh, Bas.”  Kurt whispered. Seb smiled. He was pretty sure that smile wasn’t going to leave his face for the remainder of the trip.

Sebastian tipped the driver as they exited, and the boys grabbed their carry on bags.  They headed into the DVC portion of the resort. They were greeted by a cast member with a kind, “Welcome Home.”  There was a fun fountain in the lobby, with statues of dancing penguins. Kurt couldn’t get over how a fountain could have dancing penguins in it, and still manage to look classy.  

They made their way to their room, and Kurt scanned his magic band at the door.  When it opened he was surprised to see a [ one bedroom villa ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG8Ev67GilQ).  He couldn’t believe Sebastian booked it instead of a studio.  He turned to say something about it, but Seb just gave him a look, so he shut his mouth and enjoyed exploring their home away from home for the next week.  It was large, luxurious, and beautiful. He couldn’t believe this was reality.  

The villa had a full size kitchen, living room, bedroom, huge bathroom that was divided into sections perfectly, and even a washer and dryer.  Kurt loved the Mickey shaped towel art on the bed, and the tv that was part of the bathroom mirror. He had big plans for the soaking tub too.

They decided to stretch their legs and explore the resort. They changed into the swimsuits that they packed into the carry-ons, just in case they decided to go swimming.  They started with the outdoor areas first. The resort was massive, so they didn’t hit every spot, but they checked out the tennis courts, the pools, the lake dock, and the wedding chapel.  They headed to the main building next. They explored the shops, and looked at the menus of a couple of the restaurants. There was a gentleman playing a grand piano, and Kurt squeezed Sebastian’s hand when he saw a bride on a grand staircase having her picture taken.  Both boys smiled at how lovely she looked.

They soon realized that they had forgotten to eat dinner.  Between the flight, getting to the resort, and then exploring, they had just skipped it.  Since it was late, and they didn’t want anything big, and the poolside quick service restaurant at the Grand Floridian was closed since it was already after 8pm, they hopped on the monorail and headed to Capt. Cook’s at the Polynesian.  It was a fun atmosphere, and they both liked the feel of the resort, although both were very happy with where they were. After dinner, they headed to the beach at the Polynesian, and watched the fireworks from the Happily Ever After show at Magic Kingdom.  Kurt couldn’t wait to see it up close.

When they got back to their resort, they stopped by the lobby and picked up some groceries that Sebastian had ordered online and had delivered.  When they returned to the room, their luggage had been delivered as well. Kurt put away the clothes, hanging and folding everything in the walk-in closet, while Sebastian put away all the groceries.  

When they were finished, they sat at the kitchen table and attached the Mickey Mouse decals to their magic bands, showered together, and got ready for bed.  Tomorrow was a big day, and they needed as much rest as possible. As they cuddled in bed, Kurt’s phone rang. “Who in the world could that be? I hope it’s not an emergency.”  He rolled over and checked the caller ID. “It’s Ben Sanders.”

“Huh.  Answer it.”  Sebastian said as he propped himself up on his elbow, facing Kurt.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Kurt, it’s Ben.  Are you busy? I’d like to ask you about something.”

Kurt sat up, “Hey, Ben.  No, we literally just got in bed.  What’s up?”

Ben asked, “So Sebastian is with you?  Can you put me on speaker?”

“Yeah, he’s here.  Just a second,” Kurt pulled the phone away and pressed the appropriate button.  “Okay, you’re on speaker now.”

“Sorry, am I interrupting something?  I can call tomorrow. I’m just so excited.” 

Both boys chuckled.  Sebastian said, “No, you aren’t interrupting anything.  We just got to Disney World this evening. We headed to bed early since we’re getting up early tomorrow.  What can we do for you?”

They could hear Ben smiling, “Of course you’re in Disney World,”  he chuckled a bit and the boys smiled. “So, I saw the twitter post about you saving a life, Sebastian.  That’s amazing. And then you guys comforting that little girl. You guys are just so...unbelievable.”

“Thanks?”  Sebastian responded.  Kurt grinned and grabbed Seb’s hand.

“So, I was showing that tweet to a couple of theater friends of mine.  All of my theater friends already know who you two are because of the videos from the Cincinnati show, then I told some of them about seeing you two at The Lion King.  Anyway, we were talking about your story. I know I don’t know all of it, but still. You two are amazing, and I know there’s been some major challenges…”

“You can say that again,”  Kurt responded.  

“The thing is, I think your story is so unique, so inspiring, and such a music infused love story that...I think it would make a great musical.”

“What?”  Kurt asked as he furrowed his brows.  “Did you say ‘musical’?” He looked at Sebastian like they were talking to a crazy man.  

Ben laughed, “Yeah!  I know you probably think that’s crazy.  But it’s not. Music is a big part of your lives.  And...well...some friends and I were thinking that with your permission, we could kind of come up with a storyline, and some songs.   I know your story is just beginning, but you’ve already been through so much. And I know I only know some of it, but really, guys, I think this idea could go somewhere.”

“Ummm, Ben, I don’t know what to say…”  Kurt looked at Sebastian wondering what to do.

Sebastian asked, “What exactly are you asking us?  For permission?”

Ben answered, “Well, yeah.  We wouldn’t be using your real names unless you wanted me to, but your story is _your_ story.  I wouldn’t want to tell it without your consent.  It’s just an idea. It may go nowhere. It may go somewhere, and totally flop.  But unique ideas are hard to come by. I think this could be big.”

“Can we think about it?”  Kurt asked. 

“Sure!  Do you guys know when you’ll be back in New York?  Maybe if I’m here too, we could meet up and talk about it.  Maybe Skype before then if we need to.”

Sebastian said, “Well, we'll be there for Show Choir Nationals at the end of April.  I’m not sure when we’ll be moving there. We may be going to Paris this summer for a bit.”

Ben chuckled, “See?  Show Choir Nationals and Paris.  And Disney World! You guys know none of this is typical, right?”

Kurt smiled, “I am beyond aware.  We know how lucky were are, too.”

Ben asked, “So, any news about colleges?”

Sebastian smiled, “Yeah!  So far I’ve been accepted to Columbia, NYU, Cornell, and Harvard.  I’m going to Columbia for PreMed.”

“And I was accepted to Parsons, NYADA, and FIT, but I haven’t decided where to go yet.”  Kurt shrugged as if Ben could see him.

“Holy cow.  You guys really are amazing!  Congratulations!”

“Thanks!”  Both boys said together.  

“Okay, I’ll let you guys get to sleep.  Let me know if you decide something soon, okay?  Say hi to Mickey for me.”

“Okay.  Say hello to Ty and Natalie for us.  We’ll talk to you soon. Bye, Ben.” Kurt smiled.

Once they hung up, the boys snuggled back in bed.  “What do you think of all of that?” Kurt asked.

“I don’t know.  I mean, we do have a highly unusual story.  It is a great love story, and it does involve a lot of music, and drama.  They have a point. And it wouldn’t have to be our names. Or it could be our first names and not our last names.”  Sebastian was mindlessly stroking Kurt’s arm as he stared at the ceiling.  

“I think it might be interesting to see where they take it.  Even if we just inspire it, but it doesn’t follow our story completely.”  

“Yeah, I agree.  Let’s not make a quick decision yet, though.  Let’s think about it this week, and we can let him know.”

“Okay.  Goodnight, Bas.”  Kurt snuggled into Sebastian a little more.

“Goodnight, Baby.  I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

 

……………

 

The next morning they were jolted away with their room phone ringing.  Kurt didn’t think twice, he just automatically reached for the phone and answered it.  “Hello?” After a few seconds, he chuckled. He turned to Sebastian, who was groggily grinning at him.  “It was Goofy. He says it’s time to get up.” Sebastian and Kurt both smiled bigger. “I don’t know how you did it, but that was a fun surprise.”

Sebastian smiled as he sat up, “It’s just part of the magic, Babe.”  He turned kissed Kurt on the cheek, “Let’s get up. We have breakfast reservations.” 

As they were getting ready, Kurt asked, “What do you think we need for the park?”

Sebastian was brushing his teeth, so he rinsed and spit quick before answering, “I don’t think we need much.  Our magic bands are basically our keys, passes, and wallets in one. Water is free at any quick service location, so I’d rather not carry bottles.  I’d say sunglasses and your phone. Since we’re doing Magic Kingdom today, we can come back and rest really easily, so we can reapply sunscreen then, and bring back anything we felt like we were missing this morning.”

“Okay good.  I like not having to carry anything.”

Kurt dressed in navy shorts, red chucks, and the white Mickey Mouse t-shirt that Sebastian had gotten him when he told him about the trip.  Sebastian wore khaki shorts, and a similar Mickey shirt that was blue, with his blue chucks. Their outfits coordinated without being matchy.  

They hopped on the monorail and headed to Magic Kingdom, entered through security easily since they had no bags, and headed to the front gates. 

Kurt was practically pulling Sebastian along, “We’re here!”

Sebastian smiled, “Finally!”

They took a couple of pictures in front of the train station with plants in the shape of Mickey.  They headed in through the gate, reading the plaque with the quote from Walt Disney himself, “Here you leave today, and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.”

They walked in, soaking up the views of the town square area of Main Street USA.  Before they walked around the corner where they could fully see Main Street and Cinderella’s castle come into view, Sebastian got out his phone and discreetly recorded Kurt’s first reaction of seeing the castle live and in person. 

Kurt’s eyes widened and his smile grew impossibly big, “Bas!”  He turned to look at Sebastian, “Did you see it?! Are you looking?!”  He was literally bouncing.

Sebastian chuckled, looking only at Kurt, “I’m loving my view, Babe.  I can see yesterday, today, tomorrow, and fantasy, all wrapped up in one.”

Kurt smiled at him, “Did you just twist a Walt Disney quote around to flirt with me, Bas?”

Sebastian smiled, “Indeed I did.  Would Walt roll over in his grave?  Or cryogenic chamber?”

Kurt smiled and shook his head as he lovingly rolled his eyes, and Sebastian stopped recording.  They took a couple of pictures, and stopped at two different cast members to have pictures taken with their photo pass.  The first cast member had Kurt hold out his hand, where they would add Tinkerbell into the picture later. The photographer scanned their magic bands, and they headed to Be Our Guest for their breakfast reservation.

As they walked further down Main Street, Kurt said, “Can we live here?  Please? We could have an apartment above one of the shops. Can you make that happen?”

Sebastian chuckled, “I don’t think there’s enough money in the world to make that happen, Babe.  But I can bring you back here. Does that work?”

Kurt smiled, “Yeah, that works.  I can’t believe how few people are here.”

Sebastian laughed, “Well, give it an hour.  We got in because of our reservations. By the time we leave the restaurant, this place will start filling in like someone opened the floodgates.  It’s only like this because our reservations were so early. We lucked out getting them.”

They stopped and took advantage of the nearly empty park, taking another picture with the castle much closer, the statue of Walt and Mickey, and a nearly empty Main Street behind them.  Making there way to Fantasyland was nice and relaxed. Kurt got excited when he saw the Mad Tea Party ride, but even more excited when he saw the Beast’s Castle off in the distance.  

They scanned their magic bands at the entrance, and walked back the sidewalk to the restaurant.

“The ‘imaginearing’ is incredible.  It’s so realistic.” Kurt said as they entered passed the beast/gargoyles that held up a pillar.  They placed their orders at the kiosk and were seated in front of a rotating statue of Belle and Beast dancing.  “I feel like we’re in a music box,” Sebastian smiled.  

“Have you not been here before ?”  Kurt asked.

“Nope.  There’s a lot here I haven’t done.  There’s so much to see and do, with things changing so much, it would take a lifetime to get it all in.  Plus, we used out DVC points for other places too. Disney has a resort in Hawaii and Hilton Head too.”  

“Wow, Hawaii?  I bet that was beautiful.”

“It was, and a lot of fun too.  That was our last vacation before Mom and Leah and I moved to Paris.”

“Um, about Paris.  I think I’d like to go.”  Kurt said, almost shyly.

Sebastian lit up.  He couldn’t have smiled bigger if he tried, “Good!  I’m so excited! My grandparents are absolutely going to love you.  I can’t wait to show you around.”

Kurt returned the smile, “I look forward to it.”

The boys enjoyed their breakfast, explored the restaurant a little, and then headed out as soon as they could.  They wanted to get in a few rides before the crowds got too big.  

Their first ride was Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.  They loved the queue for it, and the ride itself was fun.  The next stop was It’s A Small World and Peter Pan. Having three of the popular rides out of the way before the big crowds made their way in made them feel better about getting everything done that was on their list.  

They made their way through Fantasyland, and headed to Tomorrowland for their first FastPass ride, Space Mountain.  They loved it, and hoped to ride again before having to leave at the end of the week. They rode The People Mover next.  It was an open-air row of attached cars that went above Tomorrowland on a flat track.  It wound it's way around, and even through, many of the buildings. “Is it weird that this has been my favorite ride so far?” Kurt asked. 

“Really?  Why’s that?”

“You get to see so much.  And it’s relaxing, and the breeze is amazing.”  Kurt said as they finished the ride.  

They did Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger’s Spin with a Fast Pass (Sebastian had the top score), Monster Inc. Laugh Floor, and then the Carousel Of Progress.  

They decided to shop a little on Main Street before heading back for a dip in the pool and quick nap.  As they shopped, they found a magnet to add to their ‘places we’ve been’ collection. They grabbed a Mickey pretzel for lunch since they weren’t too hungry yet.  They sat and ate their snack at a little table in a side alley on Main Street. They discussed what they liked best so far.

“Okay, I know this may sound even weirder than you loving The People Mover, which I guess isn’t weird since I love it too, but I really love the Carousel Of Progress.  Like, really love it. I think we need to do again if we have time.” Sebastian said before taking another bite of his pretzel.

Kurt sipped his water, “That’s not weird at all!  I loved it too. I kind of want to see it again just because I was so busy figuring out the mechanics of it all, that I feel like I missed some details. And you know I love details...which works out in a place like this.”  They both smiled.

Sebastian nodded, “Yeah, your dad would love the mechanics of it too.”  

Kurt agreed, “He would.  He wouldn’t love much else here, but show him how things work, or a backstage tour or something, and he’d be in his element.  I can totally picture Leah here, but how do your parents like it? I mean obviously that have to like it enough to be DVC members.”

Sebastian smiled, “My parents are like kids when they’re here.  See those grandparents over there?” He nodded to a family standing on the corner behind Kurt.  The kids were in a stroller, and the grandpa, dressed in his Goofy t-shirt, was giving the little girl a balloon.  Kurt turned and smiled when he saw them. When he turned back to Sebastian, he continued, “They’ll be like that. When we have kids, they’ll bring them here and spoil them.”

Kurt smiled, “Well, I hope they bring me too.”

Sebastian chuckled, “Don’t forget me!”

“Never,”  Kurt winked.  “Did you know that all those names that are ‘companies’ on the windows above the shops are really names of different Disney legends?  And there’s an apartment above the firehouse that was for Walt. They keep a light on in the window 24 hours a day.”

“Wow, you really did your research.”

Kurt shrugged, “I love history, and little facts like that.”

“Are you ready to head back?”  Sebastian asked as he stood and threw away their garbage.  

“Yeah, I’m hot.  The pool sounds great right now.”

“You _are_ hot.”  Sebastian wiggled his eyebrows.

Kurt chuckled and took Sebastian’s hand.  They got a couple of looks as they walked down Main Street, but nothing big, and nothing that bothered them.  It was nice to be somewhere like this and feel like you can be yourself.  

 

The boys rinsed off in the shower, reapplied sunscreen, and then headed down to the pool.  They spent about an hour relaxing in the water, trying the water slide, and then lounging in the shade for a while.  People watching in Disney was always fun.  

They headed back to their rooms and took a quick shower before napping.  Kurt was sound asleep, and Sebastian wanted to be, but he was too busy staring at Kurt.  He ran his fingers through Kurt’s hair and thought about the trip so far. He loved seeing Disney World through Kurt’s eyes.  The detail he would point out, the history behind things he researched, the hidden Mickey’s they both tried to find, his face on rides, the smile on his face when a cast member was especially friendly...It was all magical.  Sebastian got to experience the magic of both Disney, and Kurt. And they were just getting started.  

 

A storm rolled through, in typical Florida fashion, and the boys were happy to have missed it.  By the time they were ready to head back to the Magic Kingdom, the rain had stopped, and they would be arriving just in time to find a spot for the 3 o’clock parade.  

They found a great spot under the giant Oak tree outside Liberty Town square.  It was shaded and perfect, with a short wall around the tree where they could sit and wait.  Kurt was looking around from the spot where he sat, “After the parade, I think we need to go to that shop over there and get an ornament for our Christmas tree.  We can start a collection of meaningful ornaments, kind of like we do with magnets.”  

Sebastian leaned back on his hands, “I like that idea.  We could even see if they have picture frame ones, so we can put a picture of us from the trip in it.  Then over the years, we can look back at all the ornaments and see how we’ve changed and grown as a couple.”

Kurt smiled, “That sounds perfect.”  He looked up into the tree they were sitting under.  Lanterns were hanging from it, and the way the sun was peeking through the leaves resembled glitter.  He took a picture so he could remember it.  

“Did you just take a picture of the tree?”

“Mhmm.  Look up.”  Kurt grinned.

“Huh.  That’s actually really pretty.”  Sebastian grinned too.

“Like glitter.”

“You always see things differently than everyone else.  I love that about you.” Sebastian looked back at him lovingly.  Kurt smiled back.

When the parade started, Kurt’s face lit up.  The floats, the costuming, the colors...it was so beautiful.  Sebastian loved the Maleficent float that was the fire breathing dragon, and Kurt loved the Peter Pan float that had the Peter Pan and Wendy flying high above the parade route.  

“That was the best parade ever!”  Kurt exclaimed.  

“Nobody does it like Disney, that’s for sure. I would love to get a close up look at some of those floats.”

Kurt nodded, “Me too.  And the costuming.”

They went into the little Christmas shop and chose an ornament.  It was a Mickey figure that was holding a square frame with the year written on it.  They paid and took advantage of the free delivery service that would have their purchase waiting for them at the front desk of their resort by the next day.  

Their next FastPass was for The Haunted Mansion. “This is one of my favorite rides.  I love the imagineering in it. You’ll love the mechanics of it.” Sebastian was excited for this one.

“Mechanics shmanics.  It’s _haunted_ , Bas.”  Kurt made a face.

“Oh, right.  I forgot.” Sebastian winked.  

Seb was right.  Kurt LOVED the ride.  He loved the effects, the mechanics of how they make things work, the music.  It was his new favorite.  

“Now that we’ve used all three FastPasses, we can add another one on the Disney app.”  They looked through their options, and chose the Jungle Cruise. They had a little time to kill, so they climbed the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse.  It had great views. They enjoyed Jungle Cruise ride. They had an excellent skipper, who’s jokes horribly funny. Next, they did the Enchanted Tiki Room before heading for their dinner reservations.

Dinner was at Liberty Tree Tavern.  It was a table service restaurant, and part of their meal plan they had purchased.  It was nice to sit down in the air conditioning, relax, and be served. It was a colonial-style inn, serving traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  The boys loved the atmosphere, their waitress, and the food.  

Kurt leaned back and put his hands on his stomach, “You might have to roll me out of here.”

Sebastian laughed, “I’ll be rolling right next to you, Babe.”

“Where to next?”  Kurt asked.  

“Well, I think we need to do something that doesn’t make either of us lose our dinner.”  Sebastian smirked.

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  I want to ride the tea cups, but not right now.”  He patted his belly as he said the last few words.  

Sebastian looked at the map on the Disney app.  “How about Mickey’s Philharmagic? It’s a 3D show.  It’s back behind the castle. We can do that, then shop back there for a little while.”

“Sounds perfect.”  Kurt said, as they got up to leave.  

 

They made their way to the 3D show, and passed the Tangle themed restrooms.  

“How can restrooms be so pretty?”  Kurt asked.

“I don’t know.  It really is like being in the movie.”

“I wonder how Aubrey is doing,”  Kurt said quietly. He will always think of her when he sees or hears anything from the movie Tangled.

“I’m sure she’s fine.  Her mom seemed to have more decency than Rick.”  Seb looked at Kurt and grabbed his hand, “You were so good with her, Baby.  It made me think of how good you’ll be with our kids one day.”  

“I hope I am.”

“You will be.”

They reached Mickey’s Phiharmagic, enjoying the burst of air conditioning as they walked in.  They waited in line for awhile, and then were ushered into a large area in front of several sets of doors to wait a while longer.  People gathered in front of the doors, but there were no lines. There was a small group of teenage girls near them who kept looking over at them.  The girls would giggle as they whispered to each other. The boys were standing with their arms touching, but they were not holding hands. They weren’t sure what the girls were giggling about.  They heard the girls whispering things like, “You.” “No. You. You’re the one who thinks so.” Finally, one of the girls sighed and walked up to them.

Sebastian smirked, “Did you draw the short straw?”

She chuckled, “Yeah, I did.”  She blushed a bit before continuing.  She looked at Kurt, “Um, we were wondering if, um, you’re him.”

“Him?”  Kurt asked. “Him who?”

The girl looked back at her friends who nodded for her to continue, “You know, the cheerleader.”

Sebastian laughed, and Kurt blushed a little, “I was a cheerleader, but…”

The girl said, “Can you sing?  Was that you at Nationals? Two of us think it was you, and two of us aren’t so sure.  I mean, no eyeliner, and all…”

Kurt chuckled, “Yeah, that was me.”

The girl made a surprised face and turned to the other girls, “It is him!”  She halfway yelled. People were beginning to stare. The other girls all came running over.  Everyone was talking all at once. Sebastian thought it was hilarious.  

One girl finally cut through the noise, “You’re Kurt, right?  Your name is Kurt?”

Kurt nodded, “Yes.  Kurt Hummel.”

Another girl said, “Our squad didn’t make it to Nationals, but we saw you on TV.  You were amazing! Did you know Adam Lambert tweeted about you?”

Kurt blushed a bit, seeing most of the nearby crowd watching him.  He nodded, “Yes, I do know. And thank you.”

“Can we get our picture taken with you?  Our coach will be so jealous.”

Kurt laughed a nervous laugh, “Sure.”  He turned to Sebastian.

Sebastian said, “Hand me a phone.  I’ll be your photographer.” They handed him two phones, and he took a couple of pictures with each.  

When the girls took the phones back, one asked in a flirty tone, “So are you two single?”

Kurt raised his eyebrows at her bluntness, but Sebastian chuckled, “No.  This hot cheerleader is my boyfriend.”

“Awe, man.  It figures.”  One of the girls said.  

Both Kurt and Sebastian laughed, and they were relieved that all they heard were several giggles from the crowd around them.  

 

They really enjoyed the 3D show.  Kurt had never seen a 3D show before, and Seb thought it was adorable that Kurt would duck at the images coming toward them.  “I loved that!” Kurt said as they exited. 

Kurt and Sebastian made their way into the castle archway, and Kurt fell in love with the tile mosaics that lined the walls of the pass-through.  They were brilliant in color, and showed the story of Cinderella. Kurt pulled Seb over to the nearby fountain that had a statue of Cinderella. He had him lean down, making it so the crown in mosaic behind her was visually placed on her head.  “You know all the best stuff!” Sebastian said. They explored some of the shops and rode the carousel before moving on to the next area.  

 

About an hour before the[ Happily Ever After ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB0Afdy68GM) show, the boys got a Mickey bar ice cream, and found a good seat between the statue of Walt and Mickey and the castle.  As they sat and waited for the show, already finished with their ice cream, a little girl about three years old, along with her mother, approached them.  

The little girl smiled at Kurt, who smiled back, and she held out a glow stick, “You glow!”  

Kurt looked up to the mom, who was escorting her daughter.  She smiled, “We’re spreading our own pixie dust, and sharing our ample supply of glow sticks.  She wants you to ‘glow’ too!”

Kurt and Sebastian both smiled, “Thank you, Sweetie!”  Kurt gladly accepted the glow stick.  

“Welcome,”  she said. She grabbed another one from her mother, handing it to Sebastian, “You glow!”

He chuckled, taking the glow stick, “Thank you so much for sharing with us!  That was very sweet of you.”

“Welcome.”  At that, she was off to spread the pixie dust with other park guests.  

Sebastian smiled, “That was so cute.”

Kurt nodded, “Adorable.”  He turned to look at where the little girl had gone.  “It’s such a great idea too. Spreading kindness.” Sebastian nodded in agreement as they wore their new glow sticks as bracelets.

When the show was beginning to start, cast members ushered everyone a bit closer, trying to get everyone as close together as possible to be able to fit more guests.  It was a tight fit, and Sebastian could feel Kurt tensing. He whispered in Kurt’s ear, “Are you okay, Baby?” They had never been in a situation like this, but he could imagine that Kurt felt a bit trapped, like he couldn’t get free if something happened.

Kurt took a deep breath, “Just make sure you’re touching me, okay?  I need to feel you to know I’m safe.”

Sebastian stood halfway behind Kurt, and he wrapped his arm around the front of Kurt, resting his hand on Kurt’s stomach.  “I’ve got you, Baby. You’re okay.”

Kurt nodded, and felt better already with Sebastian’s touch. 

Once the show began, all worries were soon forgotten.  The castle lit up with different colors, and the projections on the castle changed it’s image from one theme to the next.  Different characters came to life as scenes played out on the castle, and fireworks lit up the sky. Kurt had never seen anything like it.  “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Kurt whispered so softly that no one heard him.  

 

Both boys were tired when they returned to their villa.  The showered quickly, and settled into bed. Kurt was looking at all the pictures he had taken throughout the day.  He chose a couple of his favorites, and texted them to his family. He settled into Sebastian’s side, “Thank you for bringing me here, Bas.  Today was truly magical.”

Sebastian kissed the top of his head, “It was my pleasure.  Literally.”

Both boys were fast asleep within minutes.


	50. Disney - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys head to EPCOT, and find out a lot about each other as the day passes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Many of these Disney experiences are based off of my own experiences. However, if you are reading this for the first time after September 2019, a lot of EPCOT will be completely different or under construction, so take it as it is.
> 
> ~Changed the rating to an E. You'll see why.
> 
> ***WARNING*** D/s scene at the end is more intense than in previous chapters, but not terribly crazy, either. If it's not your thing, but you like the story, stop reading after they take a shower. Punishments will be mentioned, but not performed. Sometimes pain can bring pleasure. Nothing too drastic, but the boys will be experimenting. Simple as that.  
> *Please read notes at the end of the chapter.

Sunday morning, Kurt woke up to a phone call from Mickey Mouse. He smiled and turned to see Sebastian still fast asleep.  He got out of bed as gently as he could, used the bathroom, and got dressed and ready to go before heading to the kitchen.  He looked through the groceries that Sebastian had ordered, and found a carton of eggs. He gathered the rest of the ingredients he would need to fix omelettes before starting the coffee.   

Sebastian woke up and frowned at the fact that he was in an empty bed.  He stretched, used the bathroom, then headed for the kitchen. He smiled when he saw Kurt fixing omelettes, softly singing to himself. “Good morning, Baby,”  Seb said as he walked up to Kurt from behind and wrapped his arms around Kurt’s waist. He kissed the side of Kurt’s neck before resting his chin on his shoulder, “Smells good.  Thanks you for fixing breakfast.”

“You’re welcome.”  Kurt turned and kissed Seb’s cheek, “I thought maybe eating something a little healthier for breakfast might be a good idea, since I totally plan on snacking my way around the world today.”

Sebastian smiled as he walked to the living room and got out the decals they decided to use for EPCOT, “Me too, Babe.  The World Showcase is one of my favorite things about Walt Disney World. It’s one of the things I’m most excited to do with you.”  He grabbed their magic bands as Kurt plated the omelettes. He sat at the kitchen table and was finished with one of the decals by the time the plates were at the table.  He finished the other while Kurt was pouring the coffee. They really were easy to do.  

Kurt put the coffee on the table and then sat next Sebastian.  “The World Showcase was the thing I was looking forward to the most, other than Magic Kingdom.  Before we met, I had only been to Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Now I get to travel the world in one day,” he winked at Sebastian.  

Seb smiled, “Yep.  What’s really cool is that the cast members that work at each pavilion are actually from that country.  So you can ask questions, and they are actually really knowledgeable.”

“Can’t wait!” 

They finished their breakfast, and Kurt rinsed the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher while Sebastian got ready to go.  Kurt sat out on the balcony and watched as the resort seemed to wake up with activity. Sebastian came out and sat next to him. He reached over and grabbed Kurt’s hand, “Are you ready, Babe?”

“Yep!  Let’s go!” Kurt jumped up, and Sebastian followed.

  
The boys got on the monorail and headed to the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC) and transferred to another monorail that took them to EPCOT.  They headed through security, and then straight to Test Track.  Riders get to design a car on a computer touchscreen, and advance to a track where their ‘car’ is tested.  Kurt loved designing his car, “Now, _this_ , Dad would love.”

“He would,”  Sebastian agreed.  “Maybe we can get him here one day.  I know Finn would love it too.”

“He would.  He’s like a giant toddler sometimes.  I love him so much.” Kurt smirked as they left the computer where they had designed their car.

“He loves you too.  You should have seen him the other night when they met us at the restaurant.  He was very intimidating. It was all an act until I introduced Shawn, but then the look in his eyes...Man, I would have been scared if I were Shawn.”

“Yeah, he’s been different since the attack at school.  Extra protective.”

“Yeah.”  Sebastian wondered if Kurt knew about Finn holding him until the ambulance got there, but it wasn’t the time to talk about it.  Not while they were surrounded by strangers. He’d have to bring it up a different time.

Before exiting the Test Track building, there were different models of Chevrolet cars on display, along with representatives from the company.  Sebastian loved the Corvettes of course.  

“Still not as pretty as yours,” Kurt whispered in Seb’s ear as he looked at the one on display.  

“Nope.  Not as pretty as mine.”

After Test Track, they went to their first FastPass, Soarin’, in The Land pavilion.  It was a hang glider flight simulator ride that takes passengers around the world, and they loved it, of course.  Kurt thought that adding the smells made soaring above the locations in the video seem really real.  

While they were in The Land, they rode Living With The Land.  It was an informational boat ride through different types of ecological environments, and then behind the scenes of Disney’s own greenhouses that test different ways of growing food, along with a small fish farm.  “I loved that,” Kurt said. “It was so cool. The seeds, the plants. The horticulturalists here are amazing. What they’ve come up with is fascinating. That could really be how things are grown in the near future.”

Sebastian agreed, “Yeah, and the fish farm part was cool too.  They use those fish in there at some of the restaurants here.” He chuckled, “Are we like an old couple or something?  Because I liked it so much that I want to ride it again. All the things we seem to enjoy the most are kind of tame and informational.”

Kurt giggled, “Maybe we are.  But we’re also both adrenaline junkies, sooo...”

“Okay, maybe we aren’t old people in young people’s bodies,”  Sebastian laughed. “Let’s go ride Mission:SPACE so we get that adrenaline high and not feel so old.”  

 

They used their next two FastPasses, riding Spaceship Earth, and then Character Spot, meeting Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy.  Kurt smiled, “That was awesome! _Now_ I no longer feel old.  I feel like a little kid.”

 

They finished the Future World area with at stroll through Mouse Gear gift shop, and some taste testing at Cool Club.  Cool Club had several fountain drink stations, each one with a row of Coca Cola products from around the world. Kurt knew all about Beverly, the bitter drink from Italy.  He had read about in a blog. So when Sebastian was tasting drink after drink, using the small cup Disney provided, he just waited. Seb had liked most of the drinks, but when it came to Beverly… “Oh my God!”  Sebastian exclaimed with a mouth full of the offending liquid, trying not to swallow it. He quickly spit it back into the cup, and tossed it in the garbage.

“Awwe, Bas.  You usually swallow,”  Kurt said quietly as he winked.  

Sebastian chuckled as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.  “Well, it is called _Beverly_ .  I should have known _she_ wouldn’t taste as good as what I’m used to.”

Kurt chuckled, “Let’s go get that taste out of your mouth with some chips and queso in Mexico.”

When they headed outside,  a group called the [ JAMMinators ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CegCCpARCqs) was entertaining park guests.  They looked like part of the Disney custodial staff, but were definitely musicians, using their metal garbage cans as drums.  The boys clapped along and participated in the show with the rest of the crowd before heading to the World Showcase.

 

They started their trip around World Showcase in Mexico.  The Mexico pavilion consisted mostly of a large Mayan Pyramid.  Inside was a marketplace under faux stars, complete with a beautiful fountain, and shops along the edge.  They rode the Gran Fiesta boat ride that was inside before enjoying chips and queso/guacamole/salsa snack from La Cava Del Tequila.

As they sat and ate, Sebastian asked, “What country are you looking forward to the most?”

Kurt finished his bite, then answered, “Well… I’m looking forward to your reaction to France the most.  It’ll be interesting seeing what you think, having just lived there.”

“Yeah, I remember liking the France pavilion last time we were here, but that was nearly five years ago.  I’m curious what I’ll think too. What about if you take France out of it...Then which one are you looking forward to the most?”

“Morocco, with Japan being a close second.  Japanese culture fascinates me, but the pictures of the Morocco pavilion online were stunning.  I love mosaics and tile work, like outside The Land, and at the castle yesterday… That was so beautiful.  Since Morocco has a lot of that, I can’t wait to see it.”

Sebastian grinned and nodded, “I definitely think Morocco is the prettiest.”

 

When they finished their snack, they made their way to the Norway Pavilion.  They toured the museum area, then hit the shops. “I guess this is the place to be if you like Frozen,”  Sebastian said, looking around at an entire shop that had nothing by Frozen merchandise.  

“Yeah.  Do you want to ride the ride?”  Kurt asked.

“Let’s see how long the wait is.”  They headed outside and saw that the wait wasn’t as bad as they thought it would be, so they went ahead and got in line.  

“I know lines here can be super long, but the queues are always so detailed, and often entertaining,”  Kurt said as they walked through what felt like Arendelle itself.  

“They really do think of everything,”  Sebastian agreed.

The boys enjoyed the ride.  It was more exciting than they thought it would be.  They were impressed with the animatronics on the ride too, even if they did think they were a little creepy. 

They stopped to get some School Bread at Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe.  Kurt had read all about it on a couple of Disney food blogs. It definitely lived up to the hype. It was a sweet roll filled with vanilla custard, topped with icing and toasted coconut.  He and Sebastian shared one, as they planned to do with most of the snacks. If they didn’t intend on snacking at nearly every country, they would have gone back and gotten as second one.

 

Next, they headed to China.  It was beautiful, and the architecture was amazing.  The temple area had fantastic acoustics, and Kurt really wanted to sing in it, but it was such a quiet, peaceful place, it just didn’t feel right to disturb that.  They entered a theater to watch a ‘movie in the round’ about China. There were no seats, only railings, and they quickly learned that it made Sebastian extremely dizzy.  He ended up putting his hands on the railing either side of Kurt, closing his eyes, and resting his head on Kurt’s shoulder as Kurt continued to watch the movie. When it was over, Kurt turned and kissed Seb’s temple, “It’s over, Bas.  Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine as long as the movie is off.  I felt like we were on a boat in the middle of a storm.” 

As they went to leave China, they saw a group called Jeweled Dragon Acrobats.  Kurt was amazed at what they could do, but Sebastian just teased that Kurt was doing some of those moves himself during Cheer Nationals.  

Kurt playfully rolled his eyes, “What I did was nowhere close to that.”

“Some of the moves were very similar.  I bet if you practiced, you could have those moves down within six months or less.”  Sebastian said as he grabbed Kurt’s hand and headed toward The Outpost that was nestled between the China and Germany.  

“You think too highly of me, Bas.” 

“No, I don’t,” Sebastian said in a serious tone. “You’re amazing, and everyone who knows you knows that.”

Kurt didn’t know what to say, so he just squeezed Sebastian’s hand and they continued to walk. 

At the African themed Outpost, they played with some of the drums, and then stood and watched a man hand-carve African animals.  It was a small area, not really a pavilion, so there wasn’t much else to do. 

 After watching the man carve, they headed on to Germany.

When they approached Germany, there was gazebo off to the left with Snow White greeting guests.  As they passed, they watched a little girl dressed as Snow White herself, shyly stand next to the princess so she could have her picture taken.  “She is so cute,” Sebastian said.

“She really is.  Snow White is good with her.  I bet it takes a lot of patience to be a face character here.”

“A ‘face’ character?”  Sebastian questioned.

“Yeah.  It’s a character who doesn’t wear anything that covers their face.  They can’t hide frowns, or eye rolls, or anything close to displeasure.”

Sebastian looks back at Snow White, “Yeah, that would be hard.  I mean, I’m betting not all guest are adorable little children. I bet there are some crazy stories about what they have seen and heard.”

“I’m sure there are.”

Sebastian stopped to take Kurt’s picture in front of the picturesque buildings that looked like they were part of a storybook.  He took one, when a woman and he husband approached them. “Would you like me to take a picture of the two of you together?” the woman asked.

Sebastian smiled, “Yes, please!  Thank you,” he handed her his phone and went and stood next to Kurt, putting his arm around his waist.  They smiled for the picture, then Sebastian took his phone back from the woman. “Thank you. Can we return the favor?”  he asked. 

“That would be great.  Thanks.” The husband handed Sebastian his phone, and he took the picture.  With another ‘thank you’ they were all on their way.

Stopping for a pretzel to share first, the boys enjoyed the miniature train display before they sat on the wall of the fountain to eat.  They were waiting for the top of the hour, because Kurt had read about the large cuckoo clock at the top of one of the buildings.  

“The Hummel side of the family is German.  I wonder where in Germany they were from. And I wonder if it was as beautiful as this.”

“Hmm.  I guess Hummel is a German name.  Like Hummel figurines.”

“Don’t remind me,”  Kurt chuckled, “My rosy cheeks when I was younger always had my extended family making jokes about that.”  

“We’ve never really talked about our extended families.  Do you have many relatives?” Sebastian popped another piece of their pretzel in his mouth.

Kurt shook his head, “No.  On the Hummel side there’s only Uncle Andy and Aunt Mildred.  Uncle Andy is Dad’s brother. They don’t have any kids, and apparently ever since they married, they spend all holidays with Mildred’s family.  I only see them once every couple of years. Dad and Andy are on okay terms, I guess, but Mom was always the one trying to arrange get togethers, so when she died, Dad didn’t make much of an effort.  Neither did Andy or Mildred, I guess.”

“Where do they live?”

“Indiana.  I don’t even remember the name of the town.  I just remember them living on a farm a couple of hours away from Lima.”

Sebastian nodded, “What was your mom’s maiden name?  Do you know what the origin is?”

“Bisset.  She was French.  Her maternal grandparents lived in France.  I believe her paternal grandparents were of Irish descent.  I guess her being French is why I chose French as a second language.”  

“Well, I’m glad her maiden name wasn’t Laurent.  That could have been awkward.” They both laughed.

“What about you and your relatives?” Kurt asked.

“Well, Dad was an only child, and his parents were older when they had him.   His dad died before I was born, and his mom died when I was a toddler. I don’t even remember her.  Mom’s parents are still alive, as you know, and Charlotte was her only sibling. She was engaged once, but never married, and didn’t have any kids.  My mother’s cousin has three kids, Andre, Clara, and Beau. They were around some when we lived over there. There’s nobody but the four of us here, so we don’t have a big family either.”

“Well, now we both have bigger families,”  Kurt smiled softly as he bumped Sebastian’s shoulder.

Sebastian smiled back, “Yes, we do.  And I couldn’t be happier about that.”  He leaned over and kissed Kurt on the cheek.

When they finished, and had seen the giant cuckoo clock chime, they wandered through the shops in Germany  Their favorite was the Volkskunst shop that sold original Black Forest Cuckoo clocks. Each clock was unique and intricately designed.  Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hand and they headed to Italy.

 

In Italy, they both got a gellotto.  They wandered around the shops and took a couple of pictures.  “We’re eating dinner here at Via Napoli later this week,” Sebastian said.  “Their pizza is so good. They fly all of the ingredients over from Italy, and the water they use to mix with the flour is shipped in from Pennsylvania because it has the same mineral content as the water in Italy.  It’s amazing.”

Kurt smiled, “Wow, that’s crazy.  I’m glad we’re doing it later this week though.  I want to keep snacking. We’re only half way through!”

“Well, then let's go!”  Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hand again and pulled him along to The American Adventure.

 

Once in The American Adventure, they listened to an a capella group inside the building, then made their way further in to watch the animatronics and film.  

“I don’t know about that one…”  Kurt a slight frown on his face.

“Yeah.  It was a lot of propaganda.”

“I think they left out some major things...Like how it was stolen land in the first place?”  Kurt said. “Propaganda is the perfect way to describe it. I would have liked a film featuring how diversified our country is topographically.  Something about different races and religions working together to achieve the American dream. Small towns, big cities, and everything in between.  _That_ would be the best way to represent America.  More of a modern film, less animatronics.” He paused then added, “I’ll have to ask Mr. Schlotman if he’s ever seen it.  Maybe he can look it up on YouTube if not. I’d like to know what he thinks.”

“He’s your favorite teacher, isn’t he?”  Sebastian asked.

“Yeah, he is.  He was last year too.  We just kind of click. When I had that night terror, and was so sleepy the next day, Cameron said he knew I was still off because when he came in to class, Mr. Schlotman and I weren’t chatting it up.”

“Are you happy at Dalton?”

Kurt looked at Sebastian, “I’m very happy at Dalton.  It’s completely different there this time, thanks to you.”

Sebastian nodded, “Good.  I’m glad you’re happy. That’s all I ever want.”  Kurt squeezed his hand, and they continued to walk.

 

“Yay!  Japan!”  Kurt said as they approached the Japan pavilion.  “It’s so pretty.”

“It really is.  Let’s start in the back.” They headed to the back, but stopped along the way to look at the beautiful plants, trees, and koi pond.  

Once in the back, they shopped the store that wrapped around to the front.  In Kurt’s opinion, it had the best shopping so far.  It had fun trinkets, fancy Japanese clothing, and even a pick-a-pearl station, where you choose a clam, open it, and get the pearl inside mounted into jewelry.  

They made sure to take lots of pictures before moving on.

 

“Wow.  It’s beautiful,”  Kurt said as they approached Morocco.

“Just like you.  Stand here, I want to take your picture.”  Sebastian stepped back a bit and took Kurt’s picture standing in front of the fountain and key whole archways.

As they entered the pavilion, Kurt said, “This really feels like a whole new world… Aladdin was right.  This is gorgeous. Look at this tile work.” Kurt stepped closer to a wall and ran his fingers over the design.

Sebastian smiled, “Okay, _I_ actually know some facts this time.  When the king of Morocco found out that his country was going to be featured as one of the pavilions here, he sent some of his own craftsmen here to do the construction and tile work to make sure that it was 100% authentic.”

“Wow.  I had no idea.”  Kurt looked up at the tile work as he slowly walked, touching the tile for a few more minutes.  Sebastian just watched him with a smile.  

They ventured into the Medina, which was a bazaar.  They sold everything from rugs, to fashion, to lanterns.  It was all beautifully picturesque. Kurt was looking at a scarf, holding it up, and Sebastian snuck a picture.  It was something he had been doing for the last two days. He loved these candid shots of his boyfriend. He was so in love with this beautiful man in front of him.  

 

“We made it!”  Sebastian said as they approached France.  “Home away from home.”

Kurt smiled.  “Let’s explore.”  They made their way through some shops, then sat through Impressions de France.  Sebastian loved it, and was especially grateful that there were seats in this theater, and a normal large screen.  

They went to Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie for some snacks.  Sebastian was in Heaven looking at all the food in the cases. They all looked delicious.  Kurt was in Heaven watching Sebastian, and snuck a couple of pictures of his own. Seb chose a Croissant Jambon Fromage with ham, cheese, and bechamel.  Kurt chose the Quiche Lorainne. They got a variety box of Macaroons to take with them. They sat in the little cafe, and Sebastian told Kurt stories about his time in France, his grandparents, and even one about his 2nd cousins.  Kurt was starting to let himself get excited about their trip in the summer.  

By the time they had thoroughly explored the France pavilion, the sun was beginning to set.  They walked to the edge of the lake and turned to look back at the faux skyline of France behind them, Eiffel Tower and all.  It was lit up beautifully. “I can’t wait to show you the real thing,” Sebastian said as he wrapped his arm around Kurt.  

“I’m looking forward to it.  I’m nervous. But I’m looking forward to it.”

Sebastian frowned, “Why are you nervous, Babe?

Kurt tilted his head to the side, “Mmm, I guess it’s a combination of things.  This is the furthest I’ve ever been from home. I trust you to take care of me if I need it, but another country is a bit overwhelming.”  Seb tightened his grip on Kurt a bit, reassuring him that he _would_ take care of him.  “Plus, I’m nervous about meeting your grandparents.  What if they don’t like me?”

Sebastian turned toward Kurt, and placed a hand on his cheek, “Baby, I will always take care of you, no matter where we are, or how far from home we may be.  And my grandparents will love you.  My mother is very much a product of the two of them.  If she loves you, which she adores you, they will love you too.  Heck, Mom is ready and waiting to help plan our wedding.”  Both boys smiled. 

“Okay.  It’s also a long flight, which makes me nervous.  You may need to knock me out, or something. Flying isn’t my favorite thing in the world.”

Sebastian kissed his forehead, “We can see if you can bring your weighted blanket on the flight.  That may help since you seem to like it. And on the way back, I can totally get you drunk first,”  he smiled. “The legal drinking age there is 18.”

Kurt giggled, “I’ve never seen you drink, much less get drunk.  That may be interesting. I don't know about drinking at clubs though. I’m not sure I'm ready for that yet.”

“That’s fine, Babe.  I don’t need to drink to have fun.  And if you get drunk, I won’t. One of us needs to have our head on straight.”

Kurt looks up at Sebastian through his lashes, “I love you, Bas.”

Seb smiles at him softly, “I love you, too, Baby.  More than anything.”

 

The boys walked hand in hand to the United Kingdom pavilion.  They enjoyed the gardens in the last of the sunlight, and then made their way into the shops.  Kurt was looking at some merchandise in a shop called ‘The Crown and Crest’ when Sebastian went a little further into the store.  A middle aged cast member carrying a box of merchandise turned the corner and ran right into Sebastian, causing herself to stumble backwards and fall to the ground.  The merchandise went spilling onto the ground. Kurt saw it happen, and came running. Sebastian, unhurt, immediately went to help her up as Kurt picked up the merchandise and put it back in the box for her.

“Are you okay?”  Sebastian asked as he was pulling her up.

“Oh, yes, Love.  I am so sorry. Did I hurt you?”  She asked in her thick English accent.

Sebastian smiled and shook his head, “No, not at all.  I’m just fine.”

“Are you sure, Love?”

Kurt was smiling, and Sebastian said, “I’m sure.  Are _you_ sure.  That was quite a tumble.”

“I’m fine, dear.  I’m tougher that I look.”  

Kurt had the box in his arms, “Is there somewhere I can take this for you?”

“Aren’t you two just the sweetest.  Can you set it down right over there?  By that display of t-shirts?” She pointed to the area she was talking about.

“Sure!”  Kurt went to take the box over.

“Come with me, Love.  I have something for you two.”  She waved her hand, motioning for Sebastian to follow her.  He did so, turning to make sure that Kurt was following.  

When they got to the register, she handed them a piece of paper that she had signed, “This is a FastPass for two.  You can use it on any ride, any time of day. Just hand it to the person manning the FastPass station. I am so sorry to have run into you, Love.  Thank you both so much for being so kind about it all.”

“Wow.  Thank you,”  Sebastian smiled as he took the paper.  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Indeed.  Indeed.” She smiled at the boys.

They went ahead and left the store since they were  running out of time. Once they were back outside, Kurt smiled, “Come on, Love.  Let’s go to Canada!” He grabbed Sebastian’s hand and pulled him along.  

“That name is going to stick, isn’t it ...?”  Sebastian smiled as he shook his head.

“Yep!”  Kurt smiled as he popped the ‘p’.

 

Finally, they made their way to Canada.  They skipped the film there, since they found out it’s the kind that makes Sebastian dizzy.  They headed to the back, taking in the large waterfall that they were surprised to see. Sebastian didn’t remember it being there.  They made their way through the shops and gardens as they exited, stopping to take a picture or two. They’d have to stop by again when they came back and get some better pictures in the daylight.  They really were beautiful gardens.

 

They stayed by the Canada pavilion and stood near the lake to watch the nighttime show, IllumiNation: Reflections of Earth. There was a medal globe in the middle of the lake with videos inside each continent highlighting the wonders that can be found around the world.  Fireworks lit up the sky and the lake, and there was a beautiful dance of the lights at each pavilion.

 

Sebastian put his arm around Kurt’s waist as they slowly made their way to the front of the park. It was crowded leaving, so they took their time instead of feeling like a herd of cattle.  Once they were in the front part of the park Kurt noticed the ground. “Bas! Look at the ground. It’s lighting up.” There were small flecks of light in the concrete that weren’t really noticeable in the daytime.  

“More magic,”  Sebastian smiled.   
“Are you sure we can’t live here?”  Kurt asked.

Sebastian chuckled, “Well, after college we could.  Not IN the parks, but they do have a Disney-planned community here called Celebration.”

“They do?”  Kurt was surprised.

“Mmhmm.  But if you are hot down here at the end of March, you’d be miserable here all summer, every summer.”

“Point taken.  Plus, I’m sure Celebration is lovely, but I want to live IN the park.”  Kurt smiled, and all Sebastian could do was shake his head.  

 

The monorail was very crowded, even after waiting to leave the park.  Instead of sitting, like they had done every other time they rode the monorail, they stood and held on to the bars in the middle.  When the train took off, Kurt fell into Sebastian a little. Sebastian put his hand on Kurt’s side to steady him, but instead of taking it away after they were moving, he left it there.  Kurt closed his eyes and soaked up the love he could feel coming from this small touch. His boyfriend, his Bas, his Love, his Dom… Always there to make sure he was okay.  

 

When they finally made it back to their villa, the boys were both pretty worn out.  Kurt plopped down on the couch in the living room. Sebastian chuckled as he plopped down next to him, “We’re going to take the day off tomorrow.  We can hang out here, go shopping at Disney Springs,” Kurt raised his head, but Sebastian continued, “use our mini-golf passes, check out other resorts, have Disney sex...Whatever you want to do.  But I say, no alarm in the morning.”

Kurt smiled, “Well, maybe we can do a little of all of that.  But what is ‘Disney sex’ like?”

Sebastian smirked, “Oh, I don’t know.  I’ve never had Disney sex. But we can find out.”  He bounced his eyebrows up and down.

“As long as it’s not ‘goofy’,”  Kurt winked, making Seb chuckle.  Kurt turned on the couch to face Sebastian, “Bas, Love,” he smiled at the name, “I do have a serious question for you.”

Seb grinned, “What is it, Baby?”  He reached out and grabbed Kurt’s hand.  

“Well,”  he took a deep breath, “is there anything you want to do that we aren’t doing?  Or anything you want to try?”

“Do you mean in bed?”

“Yeah.  Is there a fantasy or anything that you want us to do?  I want to make you happy.”

“Babe, where is this coming from?  You know I’m happy, right?” he frowned.

“I guess I know you’re happy, but I want to make sure you’re...satisfied.  It’s part of my role as your sub, and I want to make sure I’m doing okay.  You’ve had to take care of me so much.  I want to make sure I’m doing a good job of taking care of you.”  Kurt looked down and blushed a little.  He and Sebastian could talk about anything, but it didn’t mean he could keep himself from blushing.

“I am very happy, and I am very satisfied, Babe.  You are perfect for me in every way.” He caressed Kurt’s cheek, “That’s why I’m always telling you how good you are.”  He stood, pulling Kurt up with him, “Let’s go shower.  If you feel like talking more after that, we can do it laying in bed.”

 

The boys stripped naked and got in the shower.  Kurt started to grab the soap to wash off, but he stopped at the sight of Sebastian running his hands through his hair to get it wet, his muscles flexing as the water ran down his body.  Kurt just stared.  “You are so gorgeous,” he whispered as he stood there frozen in awe.  

Sebastian ran his hands down his face to get the water out of his eyes as he stepped out from under the spray.  “Thank you.  I’m glad you think so.” He grabbed Kurt, putting him under the flow of water.  He ran his hands through his hair, getting it wet, “I think _you_ are gorgeous.”  He pulled Kurt in for a kiss, “I’m so lucky that you’re mine.”

“Only yours.  Always yours.”  They said those four words a lot, and they meant the world.  No four words could be truer.  

Kurt grabbed the shampoo and poured some into his hand.  He reached up and began to massage it into Sebastian’s hair.  Sebastian closed his eyes and reveled in the feel of his boyfriend.  When Kurt was finished, he gently guided Sebastian into the spray, tilted his head back, and rinsed the shampoo.  He repeated the process with the conditioner. He grabbed the soap and washed Sebastian’s body for him. He stood behind Sebastian, massaging his shoulders and neck.  “Baby, that feels so good.”  

When Kurt was finished, Sebastian repeated the process on him.  As he finished he whispered, “Finish getting ready for bed, but don’t get dressed.  I want you naked and kneeling for me in 5 minutes.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Sebastian got out, dried off, and brushed his teeth, while Kurt did his skincare routine.  He brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and then went to the bedroom. He knelt on the floor at the foot of the bed and got into position.  Sebastian was nowhere in sight.  

A minute later when Sebastian returned, Kurt instantly felt a warmth in his chest.  Sebastian walked to him, ran his fingers through his hair, and then down his cheek. He put his fingers under Kurt’s chin, and tilted his head up so Kurt would be looking at him.  “Thank you, Baby.  Tell me… What is it that you fantasize about?  What gets you really worked up?”  He let go of Kurt’s chin, and Kurt returned to bowing his head.  He circled Kurt slowly, listening, and always touching.

Kurt took a deep breath, “I fantasize about being owned, Sir.  By you.” He was beginning to breathe a little heavier just thinking about it.

“Mmm.  And what do you considered being ‘owned’, Baby?”  Sebastian took his nails and dragged them from one shoulder, across Kurt’s back, to his other shoulder.  Kurt shivered, and his breath hitched.

“Um...I...I…”  Kurt was having a hard time figuring out what to say, as well as getting over his embarrassment.  It was taking far too long.

Sebastian gave Kurt more than enough time to answer.  When nothing came, he grabbed a handful of Kurt’s hair, and pulled Kurt’s head back.  Nothing too forceful, but Kurt knew he meant business.  “Kurt, you know you can tell me anything.  So if you don’t answer me, we’re going to have to turn this discussion into one about punishments, not fantasies.  Do you understand?” Sebastian watched Kurt closely, and noticed his cock twitch. If being owned is what Kurt wanted, he could start that now.

“Yes, Sir.  I loved when we were rougher on Valentine’s Day.  I want to try everything…” he panted in between nearly every word, “I want to experiment with pain, being restrained, spanking, choking, dirty talk, toys, wearing a collar, Sir.  I want to find that mental flow.  My sub headspace.”

“Good boy.  Thank you for telling me.”  He let go of Kurt’s hair, and Kurt immediately bowed his head.  Sebastian gently ran his fingers through his hair again, “Is this something you want all the time?”

“No, Sir.  I love all of the ways we make love, but I want to experiment, Sir.  Sometimes…”  He took another deep breath, “Sometimes, I just feel like I love you so much, and I want you so much, that I need to be marked, collared, like a possession.  I want to feel owned, labeled with your name, or your mark. Claimed, Sir.”

Sebastian stood in front of Kurt and stroked his erection.  “I don’t know how you do it, but you get sexier all the time.  Tonight, we start small. First, you’re going to blow me until I cum down your throat.  Then, we take care of you.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt sat up a bit straighter, and that’s exactly what they did.  

Sebastian was fucking Kurt’s mouth when he said, “Touch yourself, Kurt.  But don’t cum until I tell you to.”

He moaned his answer, and followed orders.  Sebastian grabbed the back of his head and continued to fuck his mouth for a few more minute. He pulled out, “Bed. On your back. Hang your head over the edge.”

“Yes, Sir.”  He followed his command.

“Open you mouth, and continue touching yourself.”  Sebastian thrust into Kurt’s mouth again.  He watched him touch himself.  He looked down, seeing Kurt’s long neck stretched back, his mouth taking him willingly.  “Baby, you’re hot as hell.  Look at you taking my cock like that.  Fuck.  So good for me, Baby.”  He went for another minute before asking Kurt to change positions. “Sit up.” Sebastian climbed into bed, and sat with his back against the headrest.  “Now,” he said as he motioned to his cock.  

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt hungrily took him down his throat again.  It only took a minute and Sebastian was coming.  He held Kurt’s head down, calling his name at the same time.  Kurt licked him clean.

“Thank you, Baby.  You were amazing as always.  Come here.”  He motioned for Kurt to come sit in between his legs.  “Sit here, leaning against me.” 

“Yes, Sir.”  

Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s arms, “Good boy.”  He spoke softly in his ear. “I want you to touch yourself, Baby.  Think of all of those fantasies you’ve had.”

Kurt began to stroke his erection, “Y-yes, Sir.”

Sebastian reached around and ran his hands from Kurt’s hip bones, to his stomach, and then up his chest.  He grabbed a nipple with each hand, pinching with a little more force than he normally did. “That’s it, Babe.  Look how fucking hard you are for me.  My good boy.”

Kurt’s breathing was becoming heavy.  He laid his head back on Sebastian’s shoulder.

Sebastian sucked his earlobe, then ran it between his teeth.  He continued to whisper, “I can’t wait to see what my good boy enjoys doing.  Would you like some toys like nipple clamps?” He pinched even harder.  Kurt’s breathing was becoming even heavier.  Sebastian ran his nails down Kurt’s abs, “Will you like a bit of pain play?  This might not be enough. Mmm, look at those marks on you, Baby.  _Mine_.”

“Please, Sir.  May I cum?” Kurt was panting.

“No.  Hands off.”  Sebastian’s voice was forceful.

Kurt let go of his erection with a whimper, “Y-yes, Sir.”  

Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s wrists, and held them to the bed as he continued to whisper in his ear,  “I want to see if I can tie you to the bed in your dorm room using our uniform ties.  Bound by your wrists, I’ll use that beautiful cock of yours and ride you until you can’t see straight.”  He kissed down Kurt’s neck. When he got to his shoulder at the base of his neck, he bit.  Kurt moaned, and the sound was glorious.  Seb licked that spot he had marked. “Touch yourself.”

“Yes, Sir.”  Kurt followed the command.

“My Baby is so fucking sexy.  Look at that beautiful cock. Mmm, fuck.  You’re making me hard again.” Kurt’s pace began to increase.  Sebastian moved his hand up to Kurt’s neck, “Maybe we’ll do a little breath play.  Cutting off oxygen increases orgasmic pleasure.” He tightened his grip just enough to get his point across.  He held it there, “Do you like that, Baby?”

“Yes, Sir.  Very much.” Kurt said with a slightly strained voice.  

Sebastian continued, “Fuck, Baby.  I’ll have to bend you over my lap, rub that beautiful ass of yours, and _smack!_ I’ll spank you hard enough to sting, marking that ass _mine_ ,” he growled as he tightened his grip on Kurt’s neck a little more.  

“Please, Sir.  May I come? _Please_?”

“No.  Hands off.”  

 Kurt whimpered again as he stopped.  Sebastian grabbed his wrists again, pinning them down like he had before.  He continued to whisper in his ear, “Good boy.  I can see it now, Baby.  Making you wear a collar for me.  I might even have you wear it under your uniform at school. Something to remind you that you’re mine...That you belong to me.  When we’re in private, away from everyone else’s eyes, I’ll use that collar like reins and pound into you from behind.  Touch yourself.”

“Y-yes, Sir.”  Kurt was touching at a fast pace, and nearly came without a single touch with Sebastian’s last words.  

“Good boy.  Look at you, Beautiful.  Fuck, you’re so hot, Kurt.  You have no idea.”  He slid one hand up, gripping Kurt’s neck, and with the other hand, he stuck three fingers in Kurt’s mouth.  He pumped them in and out of his mouth, “I love when you blow me, Baby. Maybe we’ll see how long you can take my cock down your throat all the way.  Would you like that, Baby?”  He licked Kurt’s earlobe, then kissed his way down his neck, biting a new spot next to the previous one.  He continued pumping his fingers in and out of Kurt’s mouth.  Kurt moaned, and Sebastian graciously removed his hand, “What is it, Baby? Tell me what you want.”

“P-please, Sir.  M-may I cum?”

“Hmm… I think you’ve earned it.  Cum now, Kurt.” Sebastian tightened his grip on Kurt’s throat as he came hard up his chest, moaning the most delicious moan Sebastian had heard.  

“Good boy.  My Baby is always such a good boy.”  Sebastian gently rubbed Kurt’s neck and kissed his temple.  “Are you okay, Baby?”

“Yes, Sir.  Thank you.”

Sebastian eased himself out from behind Kurt, gently laying him down on the bed.  He was absolutely spent. “You’re welcome. I love you, Kurt.” He kissed his forehead, then whispered in his ear, “I think Disney sex is totally hot.”

Kurt smiled and his shoulders shook with silent laughter. “I love you, too,” he whispered.

Sebastian went to get a  warm washcloth and cleaned Kurt up.  He turned out the lights, made sure phones were plugged in and charging, and climbed in behind Kurt.  He covered them up and then gently massaged Kurt’s hands and arms, “Go to sleep, Baby.”  He kissed the back of Kurt’s head, and ran his fingers through his hair until he felt the gentle change in Kurt’s breathing.  He kissed his head one more time, before snuggling into his love, and drifting off to sleep.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me clarify a few things... Sebastian would never do anything to Kurt that did not result in pleasure. Choking is a slight lack of oxygen. He's not being violent. Spanking is not always a punishment. Many people enjoy pain/pleasure sex. Kurt is not addicted to pain, or punishment, or doing this because of what has happened in the past. It is a kink that he ENJOYS!


	51. Disney - Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys discuss there experimenting they did the night before, then it's off to the parks for a few more days. Lots of fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Who knew a week in Disney could take so long to write? So, this is most of the remainder of the trip. One more after this one, but it will include home too.  
> ~If you aren't into the sex thing, even if it is just a discussion, you might want to skip the first part of the chapter. If you're okay with what happened in the last chapter, this is no biggie.  
> ~I tried to share links without going overboard. I found myself writing with the idea that people knew as much about Disney as I did. I went back and tried to add detail, and the links help me describe it, if that makes sense.  
> ~Thank you so much for the comments and kudos! Please leave more! I've had lots of help with song choices lately, and I REALLY appreciate it! Credit will be given in the appropriate chapter!

 

When Sebastian opened his eyes Monday morning, he looked over at the sleeping man beside him.  Sometime during the night the two had turned so they were facing each other. Sebastian eyes wandered to Kurt’s neck and shoulder, and with that, came the bite mark he had left there the night before.  He had a mix of emotions looking at it. Something possessive in him loved the mark. _Mine._  But worry also crept in that Kurt would regret what he had asked for the night before.

Sebastian was so busy looking at the mark that he didn’t realize Kurt hand woken up.  “You’re thinking too hard, Love.” Kurt grinned at the name again, “I asked for it. I loved it,”  He touched the bite mark, “and it makes me feel connected to you.”

Sebastian smiled softly, “Did I wake you?”

“No, even if you were thinking pretty loudly.  Cuddle with me?” Kurt asked.

“Mmm,”  Sebastian reached for Kurt, pulling him close, “You don’t have to ask for that, Baby.  I will never pass up a chance at holding you.” He kissed the top of his head.

After a few minutes, Kurt asked, “What time is it?”

Sebastian raised his head to look over Kurt at the clock on the nightstand, “9:30”

“I slept 9 hours?  That never happens.”  Kurt rubbed Sebastian’s back.  

“You were pretty worn out.  We had a full day yesterday, followed by some Disney sex.”  Sebastian smiled.  

Kurt chuckled, “Yeah, Disney sex was a lot different than I pictured it.”

“So since we tested the waters a little, is there anything you didn’t like?  Anything you loved? I was a little nervous about that bite mark.”

“I almost came when you bit me, Bas.  It took so much effort not to. I _loved_ it.  I liked you edging me and then pulling me back, although I wouldn’t want that all of the time.  Every once in awhile would be great. When I finally came after being edged so many times, oh my gosh, that was amazing.”

“Anything else?” Sebastian was mindlessly stroking his back.  

“I liked it all, actually.  Every bit of it. I know you were being gentle with me, considering what we tried.  I don’t know that I would want to take any of that to extremes. I like how you did it.”  Kurt looked up and kissed him.

 “Okay.  We’ll experiment a little more sometime.  You have to promise that you’ll use your safeword if you need it.”  Sebastian kissed Kurt’s forehead.

“Of course, Bas.”  Kurt ran his fingers down Sebastian’s cheeks as he spoke softly, “But somehow last night turned into my fantasies, when it all started with me asking you about yours.  So, what are yours? What can I do to make them become reality?”

“Hmm,”  Sebastian thought for a minute, “I think after last night, my fantasies are going to change.  Before it was just what we normally do. I never would have imagined myself in this role, but I love it.  I know we’ve talked about me being a Dom naturally, but this was pushing it a little further, and it’s opened up a realm of possibilities for both of us.”

“In a good way?”  Kurt asked with a hint of nervousness.

Sebastian kissed him again, “Yes, Baby.  And you know, I would never push you harder than what you’ve indicated you want to go.  I may even tell you ‘no’ if I feel it’s not right, or too much. But I loved what we did and what we talked about doing.” 

Kurt stretched, then sat up, “Good. You know I trust you to do what’s best.”

Sebastian grinned as he sat up too, “I know, Baby.”  He kissed Kurt again, pulling away and kissing down his neck until he got to the bite mark, where he chastely kissed and pulled away.  

Kurt smiled at him, running his hand down his cheek again, “I’ll fix breakfast while you get ready.”

 

Sebastian got up and headed to the bathroom while Kurt went to the kitchen.  By the time he came out, all dressed and ready to go, Kurt was finished making omelettes and coffee.

Kurt was plating the food, “I hope omelettes are okay again?”

“Of course, Babe.”  Sebastian kissed Kurt on the temple and helped him carry the plates and mugs over to the table.  “So, what do you want to do today?”

“Let’s go do mini-golf and check out Animal Kingdom Lodge, since they’re close together.  Then maybe we can just play it by ear.”

Sebastian nodded as he finished his first bite, “That sounds good.  I’ve never been to Animal Kingdom Lodge, but the pictures online made it seem gorgeous.”

“I thought so too.  Do we need our magic bands since we aren’t going to a park today?”

“Yeah, we need them to make purchases.  Just in case. I’ll put the decals on while you get ready.  What mini-golf course do you want to play?”

Kurt shrugged, “I don’t really know my options, I guess.”

Sebastian pulled out his phone and looked up the two options that he knew of, showing Kurt the pictures, “Fantasia looks fun, but personally I like Winter Summerland.  It’s the one by Animal Kingdom Lodge, too.”

“I like that one, too,”  Kurt nodded, “but I want to do the winter side.”

“Deal.”  Sebastian smiled, “I’ll clean up.  You go get ready.”

 

By the time the boys made it down to the bus, it was mid-morning, so there weren’t a lot of people in line to ride.  When they got on the bus, Kurt headed straight for the back, sitting in the seats that lined the back wall of the bus, “King of the bus!”  he chirped.

Sebastian chuckled, “What?”

Kurt smiled, “It’s what this Youtuber, Tim Tracker, says whenever he gets this seat.  I wanted to do it too! He even has his own merch. I was tempted to buy the shirt that has ‘King Of The Bus’ on it, but I didn’t.”

Sebastian smiled, “I don’t think I realized how much research you did for this trip.  You’ve been a wealth of knowledge.”

“Yeah, I’ve watched a lot of videos and read a lot blogs.  I took your suggestion literally when you told me to look into it when I was home from school or in the hospital.”

Sebastian put his arm around Kurt’s shoulder, pulled him in close, and kissed his head, “I’m glad you did.  I’ve learned a lot from you, and we aren’t even half way through the trip.”

 

When the boys got to the [ Winter Summerland ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIrI49Zv5GU) golf course, they started the Winter side of the course.  Kurt thought the whole course was adorable. There were details everywhere, and highly themed with Christmas, snow, and everything that comes with the holidays.   So many of the holes had some kind of interactive aspect, that it made it more entertaining.  

Sebastian had made two hole-in-one’s by the time they made it to the third hole.   
“I think mini-golf is your bowling,”  Kurt said. He wasn’t fairing nearly as well, but was still enjoying it.  

“Well, I’ve played golf for years now.  That helps.”

Kurt shook his head, “Regular golf courses don’t have these obstacles.”  Kurt lined up his putter and made his shot. The ball went right off the course into the mulch.  Sebastian bit his lip, trying not to laugh. Kurt rolled his eyes and lightheartedly said, “You can laugh.  I know I’m ridiculously bad.”

Sebastian chuckled a bit as Kurt went over to putt his ball out of the mulch.  “You aren’t ‘ridiculously bad’, Babe. You’ve made par on two of the three holes.”

“Those were the easiest ones.  They’re getting harder.” He putted the ball again, missing it by a foot.

“Okay,”  Sebastian said as he made his way to Kurt.  “When you bowl, you visualize the ball hitting the desired pin.  In your mind’s eye, you see a line going down the lane to where you need the ball to go, right?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.”

“Well, this is the same.  Imagine a line, or a string, even…” he stood behind Kurt with his face close to Kurt’s, and pointed, “going from the ball to the hole.  Line up the mark on the putter with the line that you are visualizing, and gently hit it to where you want it to go.”

Kurt smiled as he stood straight up again and pointed to the putter, “You mean that’s what that mark is for?!”

Sebastian laughed, “Yes, that’s what it’s for!  Have you ever played mini-golf before?”

Kurt shrugged, “Once or twice on vacation when I was little.” He lined up the ball, focused on the line, and hit the ball in the hole.

“See!  Much easier now, isn’t it?”  Sebastian smiled.  

“Yep!  Thanks, Bas.  Now my goal is a hole-in-one.”  Kurt smiled as they made it to the next hole. Sebastian smiled in return.  Of course Kurt had that goal. He always aimed high.  

By the time they finished the course, Kurt had made one hole-in-one, and met par on almost all of the holes.  Sebastian had made three more hole-in-ones and made par on all of the holes.  

“That was fun!  Thanks for helping me.  I did pretty well after you showed me that mark thingy.”  Kurt smiled as they made their way to the bus stop benches.  

“Pretty well?  You did great!”  Sebastian sat and grabbed Kurt’s hand as they waited.  

 

The boys took the bus to Animal Kingdom park, then transferred to another bus that would take them to [ Animal Kingdom Lodge ](https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/animal-kingdom-lodge/).  When the bus pulled up, Kurt whispered, “Wow.”

They went into the main building, Jambo House, and were amazed at it’s unique beauty.  “Wow. This is so beautiful. So different from the other two we’ve been to.” Kurt said as he looked up to the ceiling adorned with large lighting features.  

“It is.  Look at this artwork,”  Sebastian pulled him over to a large colorful sculpture.  

“It’s a mask called [ Igbo Ijele ](https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/07/where-at-disney-parks-can-you-find-this/),” said a Disney cast member with a thick African accent.  “It’s 16 feet tall, 8 feet wide, and it’s one of the only of it’s kind to outside of Nigeria.”

The boys spoke with the cast member for several minutes about different pieces of art around the lobby.  Before they left, he gave them a tip about where to sit outside to get the best views of the giraffes. The boys thanked him, then headed outside to a large veranda.  It opened up into a safari area, were they could see zebras off to the left, okapi to the right, and giraffes toward the center. They sat and watched the animals for a while before deciding it was time to eat, so they head to lunch at Sanaa, a restaurant with African/Indian food.  They were seated at a table for two right in front of the windows that had a safari view.  

“These views are amazing,”  Sebastian said as he put his menu down.

“Yes, they are.”  Kurt was looking at Sebastian instead of out the window.  He smirked when Sebastian looked at him and shook his head.  “You’re gorgeous, inside and out. I can’t believe how lucky I am.”

“I feel the same way about you, Babe.”  He reached across and grabbed Kurt’s hand.  

 

After lunch the boys headed back to their villa and changed into their swimsuits.  They swam and lounged around the pool for a couple of hours. They always found something to talk about, and when they weren’t talking, they were in a comfortable silence.  It’s something they really loved about each other. They didn’t have to put any extra effort into being in each other’s company.  

When they were finished swimming and the heat began getting to them, they decided to go back and shower before watching a movie while they did a load of laundry.  When they opened the door to the villa, they were surprised with a gift basket on the table in the kitchen.  

“What is that?”  Kurt asked as he walked in behind Sebastian.

“I don’t know.”  Sebastian picked up the card that was hanging from the top of the cellophane.  “It’s from Mom and Dad.” He handed the note to Kurt before taking the basket out of the cellophane.

“Awe.  That was so sweet.”  Kurt read the note out loud, “Hope you’re both having an amazing time.  We don’t know of any two people more deserving of a nice vacation. We love you both.  Love, Mom and Dad” Inside the basket was an assortment of Mickey shaped cookies and candies, as well as two Mickey hats, and two Mickey t-shirts.  “I love them so much. This was perfect timing. I’ll put these shirts in with our laundry.”

The boys showered and Kurt started the washing machine.  Sebastian flipped through the channels and had settled on the last half of Toy Story 3 by the time Kurt came back into the living room.  They snuggled on the couch while they watched, and eventually, Kurt fell asleep on Sebastian’s chest. Seb ran his fingers through Kurt’s hair. It didn’t take long, and he was asleep as well.

 

Once the boys woke up, Kurt put the clothes in the dryer.  They decided to take the bus to Disney Springs for some shopping.  They lazily wandered around from shop to shop. Kurt really enjoyed World of Disney, Chapel Hats, and Basin.  Sebastian enjoyed watching Kurt enjoy shopping.  

They took a ferryboat from Disney Springs down the Sassagoula River to the Port Orleans Riverside Resort.  The 20 minute boat ride was nice and relaxing, and it was much preferred over bus transportation. When they arrived, they walked the path to River Roost Lounge for dinner.  They chose this restaurant because they wanted to ride the ferryboat, see another resort, and see the famous [ YeHaa Bob Jackson ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqz4WZ4S9f4).  

They ordered their food and were happy to have gotten a seat with a decent view of the stage just before the crowds began arriving.  YeHaa Bob made his way to the stage. He sang, played the piano, and joked with the audience. They ate, laughed, and sang along when asked.  Sebastian even got up and danced when a lady asked him to join the conga line. There would be photographic evidence of that, for sure. 

Kurt moved to the bar, freeing their table for someone else who was ready to sit and eat.  He leaned back with his Diet Coke in hand, watching his Love dance around like a drunk, yet sober, idiot.  He was loving every second of it.  

He was so entranced watching Sebastian that he startled when someone spoke to him.  

“Hi, I’m Marcus.  Can I buy you a drink?”  A tall blond man around 25 years old asked.

Kurt looked surprised.  He was in Disney World. Not exactly the place he thought either of them would be hit on.  He raised his glass, “Got one, thanks.”

“What about something stronger?”  He grinned as he cocked his eyebrow, as if to challenge Kurt.  

Kurt shook his head with a grin, “Not old enough. Besides,”  he nodded to Sebastian, “I don’t think my boyfriend would appreciate it.”

Marcus nodded and raised his eyes in approval at the looks of Sebastian.  “Nice. So did you two come here with your families?”

Kurt wasn’t sure how Sebastian got to him so quickly, but he did.  Sebastian eyed the guy, then turned to Kurt, kissed him on the cheek, and asked, “You okay, Baby?”

“I’m fine, Love.  Have you danced with enough women?  Are you ready to go?” Kurt smirked before he took another long drink of his Diet Coke before turning and putting it on the bar.

Sebastian chuckled, “Yep.  Ready when you are.” He held his hand out, and Kurt happily took it.

Kurt turned back, “Have a good night, Marcus.”

Marcus chuckled, “You two do the same.”  _It will be much better than mine, I’m sure._

 

As they walked to the bus stop, Sebastian asked, “Everything okay back there, Kurt?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  He offered to buy me a drink.  He wasn’t pushy at all and was nice about it, Bas.  I’m fine.” He could see the worry on Sebastian’s face.

“Good. I think this is what I’m looking forward to the least about New York... Guys hitting on you.  God, Babe...They will be lining up to get a chance with you.”

“So not true.  But even if it were, they wouldn’t stand a chance.  I’m yours. Only yours. Always yours.”

Sebastian squeezed his hand, “For as long as you’ll have me, Baby.”

“Good!”  Kurt smiled.  “Then I get to keep you forever!”  Sebastian smiled in return as they made their way back to their villa.

 

………………..

 

Tuesday morning had the boys waking up early to head to Animal Kingdom.  The first thing they did when they got there was head to [ Pandora ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7ckJ79brqQ) and get in line for [ Flight of Passage ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMxeDMPvSnI), since the didn’t have a FastPass for it.  They decided to go ahead and wait in the normal line instead of using their extra FastPass the lady in the United Kingdom had given them.   Kurt had read about the line experience, and everything they would miss if they didn’t wait in the regular queue, so they went ahead and chanced it.  They were so happy with their decision.

The queue for the line was gorgeous.  The plants, the mountains, the waterfall.  It was breathtaking. “I just can’t get over how beautiful all of this is.  Everywhere you turn, there’s more detail. We are walking through art,” Kurt said as he ran his fingers over a faux moss covered rock wall.

Sebastian nodded, “You’re right.  I love looking at things with you.  You notice things most people don’t.”

Once the queue made its way into the building, things changed.  The first section was like walking into a cave, with cave wall painting of banshees included.  Then they passed through part that seemed to mix industrial and Pandora nature, with bioluminescence and metal fencing intermixing.  That led into a lab area. Moving science experiments and even an Avatar was behind glass for all to see. It was like walking through the movie set.  “I wish Sam could see this. It’s his favorite movie.”

“Maybe he can come with us next time.”  Sebastian put his hand on Kurt’s back.

“Maybe.  I worry about Sam and Leah.  I know I shouldn’t, but they are two of my favorite people, and I know they’re crazy about each other, but…”

“I know, Babe.  But he’s got another year and a half before he’d be leaving for college.  A lot can happen in that amount of time. They might not make it that long.  I’m scared Leah will be left heartbroken. Not because Sam would hurt her on purpose, but because he’ll be leaving before she does if they stick together that long.”

“Yeah, I know.  But he is a perfect first boyfriend for her.”  Kurt grabbed Sebastian’s hand.

“Yes, he is.  I hope they stay together just so I don’t have to worry about her as much.”

Kurt chuckled as they moved on in line. 

The next part of the queue had a bunker feel to it.  They were then ushered into a room where they were given an assigned number to stand on.  A scientist came onto a screen explaining what would be happening. The group they were with was ‘scanned’ for a certain type of spore, showing their images on the screen in front of them.  Each member of the group is then matched with an avatar, and sent into the next section. Another video is shown, 3D glasses are passed out, and the group is ushered into another room where they are to experience the ride.  

The ‘seats’ look more like motorcycles.  They sit, and are locked in place by a cast member.  When the ride begins, the boys are blown away. The seat they are on begins to ‘breathe’ like a banshee.  They fly through Pandora with gusts of wind in their faces, and mists of water are felt as they fly above the ocean. It was incredible.  

When they were on their way out, neither boy said anything at first, but you could see on their faces that they really enjoyed it.  Finally Kurt said, “I don’t know what to say about that. I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life. It was breathtakingly exciting…”

“I agree.  I think now that we’ve seen the cue, we need to use the extra FastPass for that and ride it again.”

“Oooh, good idea.”

They made their way to the gift shop at the end of the ride called Windtraders.  They had really different merchandise than most of the Disney shops, and they boys enjoyed watching a little boy get his first banshee that sat on his shoulder as he made it move and make noise.  

 

The Africa section of the park was their next stop.  They enjoyed Kilimanjaro Safari with their FastPass before heading to the Lion King show.  They walked the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail before stopping to watch some [ African street performers ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkoBnJDN8-A) drum and dance.  They stopped to eat at Flame Tree BBQ.

As they sat and ate, Sebastian asked, “What's your favorite thing about this morning?”

Kurt didn’t hesitate, “Definitely Flight Of Passage.  That was amazing. I love everything else too. The baby elephant on the safari was adorable.  That was a fun ride. And the street performers were fantastic. What about you?”

“I agree with all of that.  I enjoyed the safari a lot. I knew I’d like it, but I liked it more than I thought I would.  Our driver was great. And the street performers amazing.”

They headed to Expedition Everest for their second FastPass.  It was a fun roller coaster with a ‘broken track’, that made the ride go backwards at one point.  The yeti was fun, and they both enjoyed the views of the park from the top of the hill. After the roller coaster they enjoyed the Finding Nemo musical, which had an added bonus of being inside, out of the heat.  

 

In Dinoland, they used their 3rd FastPass and rode Primeval Whirl, a spinning carnival-type roller coaster.  Sebastian got a little dizzy after that one. “I think we’ve found Superman’s weakness,” Kurt teased, “Spinny things.”  Kurt wrapped his arm around Seb’s waist to steady him.

“Yeah, between the movie in China, and that, I’m learning a little more about myself.”  Sebastian closed his eyes for a minute. “Wait...Superman?”

Kurt chuckled, “Yeah.  You’re my Superman. Always coming to my rescue and saving the day.”

Sebastian shook his head, “You’re a goofball.  I think being here is getting to you.”

Kurt smiled, “Nope.  It’s all you. You got to me.”  

They rode Dinosaur next.  It was a rough jeep ride that made them time travel back to the time of dinosaurs.  The lights and the dinosaur animatronics made it exciting.  

They made their way to the Tree of Life next.  The animals carved into the massive tree were incredibly impressive.  They each continued to point out different animals they saw as they made their way around the tree.  After being satisfied they had seen the tree well enough, they headed to a path leading them under the tree to A Bug’s Life, a 4D animated show.  They enjoyed the queue, since it gave them an up close look at the tree. Inside there were fun bug-themed posters that were puns of Broadway productions.  During the film, much to Kurt’s surprise, there were things dropping from the ceiling toward them, and even the feel of something crawling under them in the seats.  Sebastian had remembered this, and was proud of himself for keeping his mouth shut, and letting Kurt be surprised. He was cracking up at Kurt’s reactions. When the seats moved as if there were bugs on them, Kurt yelped and jumped like half the other people around them.  Sebastian laughed so hard he had tears running down his face.  

“That was hilarious!”  Sebastian said as they exited. 

Kurt playfully backhanded him in the arm, “You totally knew, didn’t you?!”

Sebastian laughed some more, “Maybe.”

They shopped a bit and then sat in the shade and watched some flamingos as the sun set.  

They headed back to Pandora as it got dark, and it was as if they were seeing everything for the first time again.  Everything was glowing, and the soft sounds of crickets made it feel truly otherworldly. They used their extra FastPass rode Flight Of Passage one more time, and loved it just as much as the first time.  They ate dinner at Satu’li Canteen in Pandora. It was unusual, but really good.

At the end of the night, they decided to watch a projection show on the Tree Of Life.  It was beautiful, and was the perfect ending to their day in the park. The crowds were crazy as they exited.  With no monorail to this park, everyone was headed to cars or buses. Sebastian had luckily put cash in his pocket before leaving, so they called an Uber to take them back to the resort.  

Once there, they sat by the lake in some lounge chairs, enjoying the views, and some quiet. Their arms hung between the chairs, fingers intertwined.  Sebastian turned to Kurt and whispered, “Thank you, Kurt.”

Kurt turned to look at Sebastian, “For what?”

“For loving me.  For giving me this amazing life that we are living together.  I am always happy when I’m with you. Whether it’s sitting here, in this magical place, or at school in Art History, or in one of our living rooms.  Anywhere. I love you so much. I am so thankful that you’re in my life.” He saw Kurt start to say something, “Don’t…. Don’t say anything in return.  I just needed to say that out loud.”

Kurt wiped the tears from his own cheeks with one hand and squeezed Seb’s hand with the other. 

 

………………

 

The next morning they boys headed to Hollywood Studios.  They went straight to Toy Story Mania, an interactive 4D shootin’ game,  since they didn’t have a FastPass for that. The queue was amazing, once again.  It was a lot of fun, and Sebastian wasn’t at all surprised that Kurt beat his score.  

They walked around Toy Story Land, but decided not to wait in any of the lines for the two other rides.  They theming was incredible, and really made them feel like they were the size of the toys. Benches made out of ‘used’ popsicle sticks, giant toys, and even a snack stand made to look like an old fashioned metal lunchbox really pushed the theme to work.  

“See those giant blocks over there?”  Kurt asked. Sebastian nodded, so he continued, “If you look at them from this angle, it says A113.  If you watch for it, you’ll see A113 in tons of Disney and Pixar films. It refers to a classroom that a bunch of the animators had when they attended California Institute of Arts.”

“Wow.  You really know your stuff.”

 

Lots of pictures later, they headed to Tower Of Terror.  The theming of an old haunted hotel was awesome. They loved the ride, and thought the ride picture of them screaming on the way down the ‘elevator drop’ was hilarious.  They were glad it came with the Memory Maker photo package they had purchased for the trip.  

They were headed over to Arosmith’s Rockin Roller Coaster when an old fashioned car with the [ Citizens of Hollywood ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg9y2ZKVh2s) pulled up.  One lady, dressed in a full length purple dress, yelled, “Stop!  Stop the car!”  

She jumped out and ran toward the boys while the male driver asked, “What are you doing?”  Four of them hopped out of the car.  

She said, “I found him!  I found him! The man of my dreams!”  She grabbed Sebastian’s hand and pulled him toward the car.  Sebastian smiled and Kurt was laughing.  

The other woman in the car went to Kurt.  She pulled her best bashful act that reminded Kurt of Flower from the movie Bambi.  She said, “Don’t worry, pumpkin. You can be the man of _my_ dreams.”  

The men from the car stood and crossed their arms with frowns on their faces, but the woman with Sebastian said, “So are you married, cutie?”

Seb laughed, “No.”

“Why not?  Haven’t you found the right one yet?  Well, I’m right here! You found me!” She winked as she flirted and pulled up her dress to her knee, trying to be sexy.

“Well,”  Sebastian said, “I have found the right one.  But we’re in high school for a few more months still, soooo…”  He exaggerated a shoulder shrug as he laughed.

Kurt smiled.  The lady with him made a pouty face, “I guess that’s a no for me too, then.”  She hung her head.  

“Yeah, sorry.”  He wrinkled his nose.  

The lady with Sebastian stomped her foot, “Let’s go!”  She pouted, “I know he’s here somewhere. He’s got to be!”  They all piled back into the car and drove off, beeping their horn.

Sebastian looked at Kurt, “Well, that was weird.”  

Kurt chuckled, “Yeah.  The women always love you, Bas.”

 

After Rockin’ Rollercoaster, they headed to [ SciFi Diner ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9qz9LP0lSk) for lunch.  It was a fairly large diner that made it appear like you were outside at night, under the stars watching old black and white movies at a drive in theater.  Each table was in an old fashioned car that instantly made the boys think of Sugar. They shared a burger, and each had fries and a milkshake.  

After lunch, they stopped at the Frozen Sing-a-long.  It wasn’t that they loved Frozen, but it was in the air conditioning and they had heard it was funny.  They actually thought the hosts of the sing-a-long did a great job, and really were hilarious when they told a lot of jokes that went over the little kids heads.  The boys loved the reaction of the little kids around them when it started to ‘snow’ inside the auditorium.  

 

They rode Star Tours twice.  The had a FastPass for it the first time, but it wasn’t a long line, and since the ride ‘show’ changes each time, they decided to go for it again.  It was really fun, and made them look forward to coming back when the new Star Wars land opened.  

 

They made sure to see the Chinese Theater, taking pictures with different stars handprints and signatures.  They were both excited to see Robin Williams handprints there. They spent more time there than they thought they would, but still managed to make it to the Indiana Jones show that they wanted to see.  They watched the Muppets 3D movie before they headed down to Hollywood Boulevard to shop. 

 

They had reservations for dinner at [ 50’s Prime Time Diner ](https://www.orlandofuntickets.com/articles/food-for-thought-50s-prime-time-cafe-at-hollywood-studios/).  Their ‘Cousin Marie’, as she called herself, was their waitress and she was a lot of fun.  They were seated at an old fashioned 50’s kitchen table, with old wallpaper and tv included.  It felt like they were on a set of a tv show. When they asked Cousin Marie to take a picture for them, she said “Sure!”, took their phone, and then proceeded to take pictures of other guests instead of them.  They were cracking up. When she returned, she said, “Here ya go, boys! I took a picture for you. A few, actually. I’m sure you’ll like one of them.”

Sebastian smiled, “Will you take a picture of the two of us?”

“Sure, kid.” Cousin Marie went to a neighboring table where the mom had a cell phone out.  “Can I borrow this?” The woman nodded, so she took the phone, opened the camera app, and took a picture of the Sebastian and Kurt.  She returned to them and asked, “Happy now?”

Sebastian smiled, “I’ll tell you what…. Why don’t you sit in my seat for a minute, and I’ll take the picture.”

“You mean get off my feet for a minute?  Sure, kid!” Cousin Marie smiled as she sat down where Sebastian had just gotten up.  

Sebastian smiled as he turned his back to his own table, held the phone up high, and took a selfie with Kurt and Cousin Marie in the background.  “There!” He said triumphantly.

 

They stayed to watch the [ Fantasia ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWHX9MuRJ6A) show after dinner.  With a puff of smoke, Mickey appeared.  Kurt leaned over and whispered in Sebastian’s ear, “We know him.”  Sebastian smiled and nodded. The show was amazing. The music, the light projections on the walls of mist, the characters...It was all very ‘Disney’, and they were glad they stayed to watch it. 

After the show, they slowly made their way out of the park.  After waiting a while for the bus, they boys got a seat, only to give them up to a mom and her two kids.  They were standing in the middle, holding on to the metal bars, when the dad thanked them. “Thank you, boys.  They are worn out.”

“It’s no problem,”  Kurt smiled.  

The little girl sitting with her brother, put her head on her mom’s arm, “Mommy, sing me night-night song.”

The mom kissed her daughter on the head, “When we get back to our room, baby girl.”

She whined, “Night-Night soooongg…”

The dad sighed, “When we get back, Sophie.”

Sebastian smirked as he put his hand on Kurt’s shoulder, “He can sing you a night-night song.  He has a very pretty voice.”

The parents, as well as a couple of other adults around, chuckled at both Sebastian’s willingness to volunteer Kurt, as well as the look on Kurt’s face when volunteered.  Sebastian smiled even wider, “He’s even won National titles because of his voice. And hopefully a third next month. Want to hear?”

Kurt’s eyes widened, and he could feel his cheeks turn red.  He nudged Sebastian, but the dad was already saying, “Well, now _I_ want to hear!”

“Me too,”  said an older lady sitting down the row of seats.  

Kurt sighed and shook his head, “Any special requests?  I’m making a rule that has to be a Disney song, and this guy,”  he put a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, “has to sing along.”

Both of the kids in the seat smiled sleepy smiles and clapped.  “Mona” the little girl said.

The dad leaned over and whispered, “Moana.”

Kurt smiled and nodded, “You got it.”  He looked around, “I expect people to join in.”  He looked at Seb, “Especially _you_.”  That got a chuckle from the mom and dad.  

He sang, “I’ve been staring at the edge of the water, long as I can remember, never really knowing why.  I wish, I could be the perfect daughter, but I come back to the water, no matter how hard I try. Every turn I take, every trail I track, every path I make, every road leads back, to a place I know, where I cannot go, where I long to be ...”  At that point, everyone was quietly joining in.  

By the time they made it to the resort, they had added, Can You Feel The Love Tonight, Colors of the Wind, and A Whole New World to their impromptu setlist.  When the bus stopped, everyone quietly clapped, because the little girl and her brother were fast asleep. One woman said, “Who can I tag in this video on Twitter?”  Kurt gave a questioning look, but she held up her phone. “I recorded some of it. Is okay if I post it?”

Sebastian said, “@KEHummel.  He’s been tagged before, and I’m sure he’ll be tagged again.”

Kurt said, “Well if you’re tagging me, also tag him.  @SebSmythe.”

“You got it!” She smiled. 

Before they got off the bus, the young mom and dad thanked them, “That was amazing, boys.  Thank you so much.”  

“You’re welcome,”  they smiled in return.  

The older lady and her husband that were sitting a few seats down from the mom and kids were getting off the bus, and Kurt and Sebastian stopped at the bottom of the bus steps to help them down.  She smiled, “Oh, thank you boys. And thank you for that beautiful Disney magic. What a way to end the night.”  

“You are quite welcome,”  Kurt smiled. 

 

On the way back to the villa, Kurt looked at Sebastian, “You might have to pay for that, Bas.  That was sneaky.”

Sebastian smiled, “Hmm, what’s the price I’ll have to pay?”

“Mmm, I think I should get a nice bath with that awesome bath bomb you got me at Basin yesterday.  Theeeennn, I get a massage.” He looked up as Seb and batted his eyelashes.

“Okay, deal.  But isn’t giving you a massage kind of a reward for me?”

Kurt shrugged and put his arm around Sebastian’s waist, “As long as I get the massage…”

 

………………

 

The boys slept in on Thursday.  Two full days of parks was tiring.  Kurt made them brunch at the villa, then they were off for their second day at Epcot.  They did the Living With The Land ride again, which they loved just as much as the first time.  They had a fastpass for Soarin’ again, which they used, but they decided to not use the other FastPasses, so they used the Disney app to cancel them.  They wanted to do a couple of the things they didn’t get to do in Future World, like see The Sea pavilion and watch the Disney Shorts videos, then head back to the countries again.  

 

This time, they started in Canada.  They were really glad they got to see it in the daylight.  The gardens were gorgeous. They took some photos of each other, then along with another couple, traded taking pictures together.  Kurt was hoping one would meet his standards so they could frame it for their place in New York. They took some pictures in front of the totem poles, then headed to the United Kingdom.  

 

In the United Kingdom they went through the gardens again.  As they walked up to the buildings Kurt noticed a statue of Peter Pan teetering on the edge of the roof, “Look!  It’s Peter Pan! I didn’t notice him last time.”

“I didn’t either.  Let’s go in the shop that has the family crests.  I want to look up Hummel and Smythe.”

They boys ended up looking up and purchasing prints of the Hummel, Smythe, Laurent, and Bisset family crests.  “These are small enough that it might look cool to have them framed and put together in the office in New York,”  Sebastian said.  

“Oooh, I like that idea.  It will represent _us_ very well.  I can’t wait for Dad to see them,”  Kurt smiled. They had the pictures sent to their resort, then continued shopping for a while before moving to France.

 

They stopped in Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie in the France pavilion and got some pastries for a snack.  They ate them sitting on the wall of the fountain outside while they talked some more about what their options were when they got to France.  The discussed things Kurt had always wanted to see, and things Sebastian wanted to show him. By the time they were ready to move on, they knew they would be visiting some touristy places like the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, and possibly even Disney Paris.  But Sebastian had also told Kurt about wanting to visit things like the little bakery he came to love, the bookstore that he spent hours in, and the park that had a stone wall like the Secret Garden. Kurt was getting more and more excited about the trip as they spoke.

 

Next the boys revisited Morocco.  Kurt was especially glad, because things looked different in the daylight.  They took some pictures before moving on to Japan, where they shopped again.  They took a few more pictures by the koi pond, then left to head to there dinner reservation.  

 

Once they got to Italy, they headed straight for [ Via Napoli ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBRhs-qDMvM).  Kurt loved the atmosphere, and the restaurant was nicer than Sebastian had remembered.  When they were seated, a waitress with a thick Italian accent took their order. When the pizza came and Kurt took his first bite, he couldn’t help but moan.  It really was the best pizza he had ever eaten.  

“Like it?”  Sebastian asked as he finished his first bite.

Kurt nodded, “We may need to move to Italy now.”

 

After they finished and headed outside, they took the Friendship Boat to the front of World Showcase.  They made their way to the fountain in the middle of Future World, where they sat for a few minutes and watched the water dance to the soundtrack that was playing overhead.  

“Are you ready to head back, or do you want to stay here for a while?” Sebastian asked as he rubbed Kurt’s back.  It was just starting to get dark.

“Let’s go back and enjoy the resort some more.  We’ll be gone a lot tomorrow, so I want to enjoy it while we can.”  Kurt laid his head on Sebastian’s shoulder. 

Seb kissed Kurt’s forehead, “You got it.  Let’s go.” He hopped up and reached for Kurt’s hand.  They made their way to the monorail after stopping for a couple more more pictures in front of Spaceship Earth.  

“It really does look like a golf ball,”  Sebastian said as they started to walk away.  

“Yep.  And I could putt it now if I wanted,”  Kurt smiled. Sebastian smiled and shook his head.

 

When they got back to the resort, they went into the main building and looked around again.  In the lobby, there was a man playing the grand piano. They sat and enjoyed the music for a while.  Suddenly, they heard, “Hello, boys.” It was the older couple from the bus. They smiled as they took the seats across from the boys.

Kurt smiled and said, “Hi!  Did you two have a good day today?”

The man said, “We did.  We went to Magic Kingdom.  My princess here loves that Fantasyland.”

Kurt smiled, “I do, too.  We’re headed back there tomorrow.”

The woman said, “I’m Eileen, and this is my husband Charlie.  We’ve been coming here for 40 years. We love it.”

“It’s nice to meet you,”  Sebastian said. “I’m Sebastian, and this is my boyfriend, Kurt.”

“Is this your first time here, boys?”  Eileen asked.

Sebastian answered, “Not for me.  I’ve been coming here my whole life with my family.  But it is Kurt’s first time, and my first time without my parents.”

“We’re from Jersey.  Where are you from? And how did you learn to sing so nicely?”  Charlie asked.

“We’re from Ohio.”  Kurt answered, “And we’re both in our school’s Glee Club.  It’s an a capella group called the Dalton Warblers. We’ll be going to Nationals in New York next month.”

“Do you think you could sing something for us again?  It really was magical last night.” Eileen said.  

The boys looked at each other, and then to the piano.  “I don’t know,” Sebastian began. “Do people sing along to the piano?”

Charlie got up, “Let’s find out!”  He walked over to the piano as the cast member was finishing his song.  

Eileen smiled, “Charlie always get his way.”  Just a minute later, Charlie motioned for them all to come over to the piano.

The cast member played, and the boys sang Can You Feel The Love Tonight.  A small group had gathered, and everyone applauded when they finished. Eileen was clapping and smiling like a little school girl.  

Sebastian leaned over and asked the cast member something.  Before Kurt knew it, Sebastian was sitting at the piano, and the cast member stood a few feet back.  

“This is a song that I wrote for the love of my life, Kurt Hummel.  It’s called Running Home To You.” He began to play and Kurt immediately became teary eyed. 

Sebastian sang, “Can’t say how the days will unfold.  Can’t change what the future may hold. But I want you in it, every hour, every minute…”

Eileen had heart eyes as she watched the two boys.  She grabbed a hold of Charlie’s arm as she became teary eyed too.

When Sebastian finished singing, the crowd that had gathered began to applaud.  He stood and walked straight to Kurt, kissing him chastely on the lips before pulling back, “I love you, Baby.”

Kurt wiped his cheeks of the tears that had fallen, “I love you, too, Bas.”

They laughed when Eileen said, “And I love you both!  That was so beautiful!”


	52. Coming Home to Prom Dresses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last of the boy's magical Disney Vacation. They head back home to friends and family. Kurt helps Leah shop for prom dresses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos make me happy! Seriously....

Kurt answered the phone again on Friday morning.  This time it was Minnie Mouse telling him it was time to get up.  He turned over to find Sebastian looking at him with a soft smile gracing his lips.  

“Good morning, Love.”  Kurt smiled.

“Good morning, Baby.  Are you ready for our last day in the parks?”

Kurt stuck out his bottom lip and knit his brows together, “No,”  he said in a pouty tone, “I don’t ever want to leave.”

Sebastian smiled, “I know.  But I promise we’ll come back.”  Sebastian rolled over onto his back and grimaced as he let out a small groan.   
Kurt propped himself up on his elbow, “I’m sorry, Bas.  Are you really sore from last night?” He reached out and put a hand on Sebastian’s arm.

“I’ll be fine, Babe.  I’ll take some Advil. The more I get up and move around, the better I’ll feel.”  He grinned as Kurt gave him a questioning look. He shrugged, “Maybe I should bottom more often.”

“Whenever you want, Love.”  Kurt leaned over and kissed him, “Can we skip breakfast here and eat in the park?  I want one of those waffle thingies.”

“Sure.  Let’s get ready.”  

Both boys got ready fairly quickly.  They wore their new shirts, and decided to attach their new hats to their belt loops.  They had an early FastPass for Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster, so they didn’t want them to fly off.  Everything else they were planning on riding would be okay with a hat on.  

They made their way to Magic Kingdom really quickly, and were once again thankful for being at a resort on the monorail line.  It really made getting to the park so much easier, and a lot faster.  

Once they were in the park, Kurt grabbed Sebastian’s hand as they rounded the corner to head down Main Street USA.  Kurt stopped, staring at the castle.  

Sebastian asked, “Are you okay, Babe?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  I just want to soak up this view.”  He turned to look at Sebastian, “And this view.”

Seb smiled, “Let’s go have some fun.”  Kurt smiled back, and they headed down Main Street hand in hand.  

 

Their first stop was Sleepy Hollow Inn in Liberty Square, where they ordered two Waffles with Nutella, strawberries, blueberries, and bananas, along with their coffee.  They found a seat on the same wall under the big Oak tree that had sat under for the parade earlier in the week.  

Kurt moaned when he took his first bite.  “This is soooo good.”

“Mmhmm.  I can’t believe I’ve never had this before.  We’ll have to try to make them at home.”

“Good idea.”  Kurt cut another piece off, “I’ve seen people in blogs fold them like a taco and eat them.  I just don’t see how that’s possible. There’s so much fruit.”

“Not without getting it all over you face.  Mmm, so good.”  

Kurt looked around as they ate.  He took in the views of the colonial style buildings and large trees.  He tried to memorize it so he would never forget.

 

When they finished, they made their way to The Haunted Mansion. They had enjoyed it so much before that they wanted to ride it again.  Then, they headed to their first FastPass, Big Thunder Mountain. Kurt loved the theming, and both boys agreed that it was the best roller coaster in the parks, closely followed by Expedition Everest.  The little hills combined with the speed and tight turns made BTM really fun.

The boys rode Splash Mountain next.  Sebastian was glad to ride it early in the day.  He knew the song Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah would be stuck in head, but getting it over with early gave him chances to hear other songs.  Hopefully, his theory works. Kurt loved the ride, and was thankful that they only got a little wet. Other passengers in the front of their boat didn’t fare so well.   Once they were off the ride, they put their hats on and headed to Pirates of the Caribbean, their second FastPass.  

“That was fun,”  Kurt said as they entered the gift shop at the end of the ride.  

“It used to be my favorite when I was little.”  Sebastian smiled. 

“Awe.  I can totally see a little pirate Sebastian running around the park.”  Kurt smiled.

Sebastian nodded, “Yep.  One year we even did this thing where we bought a pirate outfit, then a cast member did my makeup to make me look like a real pirate from the movies.  Leah got to do the same thing as a princess over at the castle.” He smiled, “We were adorable.”

Kurt chuckled, “I bet you were.”

They explored the main street of Fontierland, stopping to watch Country Bear Jamboree.  They took a shortcut in between two buildings to Adventureland, where they took in the Arabian-themed marketplace.  

 

For lunch, they walked to [ Casey’s Corner ](http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2010/03/23/guest-review-caseys-corner/) at the end of Main Street USA.  Because it was close to lunch time, the restaurant was really busy.  Sebastian ordered a hot dog and fries to share, and Kurt ordered mini corn dogs.  At the condiment counter, Kurt got both ketchup and cheese sauce. Because it was so busy, there were no seats inside.  They lucked out when they went outside and saw a couple getting up from one of the tables, so they sat quickly. The table had an umbrella, so it was shaded, and it had magnificent views of both Main Street, as well as the castle.  They took a couple of selfies before enjoying their food.    

“Okay, I’ve never had a corn dog with cheese sauce before, but I read that it’s a ‘can’t miss’, so I’m trying it.”  Kurt said as he dipped his corn dog.

“From what you eat at home, I’m surprised you’ve ever _had_ a corn dog,”  Sebastian chuckled.

“Yeah,”  Kurt smiled,  “I try to eat healthy.  Especially with Dad’s heart.  It’s a good thing we’ve been doing a lot of walking this trip.  Otherwise my pants wouldn’t fit anymore.” He took a bite of the corn dog and moaned.  “Okay, you have to try this.” He dipped another one and handed it to Sebastian.

“Mmm.  That’s is good.”

 

The walked back to their last FastPass, Dumbo.  As they entered the circus themed area, Kurt noticed the ground.  “Look at the concrete! It has elephant footprints in it, and peanut shells every once in a while.”

“The detail here is amazing.  I wonder how many people walk through here and never notice things like this.”

“Yeah, I’ve wondered the same thing.  That’s one of the things I’ve enjoyed the most about Walt Disney World.  The theming is so all encompassing. It’s like you’re transported to another time and place with each section, each land, each ride.  The designer in me is a bit giddy inside.”  

Sebastian smiled and nodded, “I’m sure.  I’ve always loved it here, and I’ve always noticed detail, but not like you.  I know I said it before, but seeing it through your eyes this week, and the smallest little things you notice, it really has been amazing.”

Kurt looked at him and smiled.  Sebastian leaned into him and wrapped his arm around his waist.

They decided to head into [ Big Top Souvenirs ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRPO9svg2wI) gift shop first to give their food some more time to settle.  The entire shop, both inside and out, looked like a colorful circus tent.  In the center, there was a snack station, Big Top Treats, with colorful treats like cupcakes, cookies, and candied apples.

“Every time I see these candied apples, it just blows me away.  Minnie and Mickey, Cheshire Cat, the poisoned apple from Snow White, Nemo, Goofy.  They’re all edible artwork.” Kurt said as he stepped over to watch a cast member hand dip some apples.  

“They really are.  It’s kind of a shame to eat them.”  Sebastian said. He walked around the case and looked at the creations.  He looked up, watching Kurt as he was entranced with the process of how they were made.  He looked back at the store and the merchandise. All he could think about in that moment was what it would be like for them in the future, bringing their children here.  He looked back at Kurt again, and the warmth he felt in his chest just at the sight of him, was nearly overwhelming. He blinked his eyes and looked away, trying not to cry.  He hadn’t remembered ever being this content...this _happy_.

He startled a bit when Kurt came up and put his hand on the small of his back.  “Are you okay, Bas?”

“Yeah, Babe.  Are you ready to get in line for Dumbo?”

“Yeah.  But are you sure you’re okay?”  Kurt looked at him, concerned.  

“I’m sure.  I was just lost in thought.  Daydreaming.” Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hand and gave it a squeeze.  Kurt wanted to ask what he was daydreaming about, but he figured Sebastian would have told him if he wanted him to know.  

Once on the ride, they took some great pictures and a cool slow motion video.  It was such a Disney classic, and after riding it, Kurt could see why.  

 

They walked over to Fantasyland to ride Under The Sea- Journey of the Little Mermaid.  Kurt wowed Sebastian when he showed him a very special, very [ hidden Mickey ](https://www.sandandorsnow.com/2017/05/coolest-hidden-mickey-walt-disney-world-youre-missing/) that was actually Steamboat Willie, in the exit queue of the ride.  You had to be standing in just the right spot. People probably thought they looked a little funny trying to find it, but as soon as they did, a few people around them started their attempts at seeing it too.   

They did a little shopping at Bonjour! Gifts  in the courtyard that was Beauty and the Beast themed.  They stopped at Gaston’s Tavern, took some pictures, and ordered a cinnamon roll to share as a snack.  They sat on the wall of Gaston’s fountain and watched and laughed as Gaston himself greeted guests. He would flex his muscles, puff out his chest, talk about how wonderful he was, and even challenge the occasional man to a push-up contest.  

 

Next, they headed to Mad Tea Party, another iconic Walt Disney World ride.  Once in line, it dawned on Kurt, “Bas! We can’t ride this!”

Sebastian frowned, “Why not?  You’ve been looking forward to this one all week.”

Kurt frowned in response as he looked at the ride, “But it’ll make you dizzy.  I don’t want you to get sick.”

Sebastian shook his head and put his hand on Kurt’s back, “I’ll be fine as long as we don’t spin the teacup.  Is that okay? I’ve never gotten sick riding it before.”

“Of course we don’t have to spin it.  But are you sure you can ride it?” Kurt looked back to Sebastian.

“Yeah.  Look,” he pointed to the ride, “the teacups don’t go in tight circles like the Primeval Whirl cars.  I didn’t get sick on Dumbo or the carousel. This should be fine.”

“Okay.  But if you don’t feel well, or even if you feel a little dizzy afterwards, you have to tell me.”  Kurt gave him a warning look.

Sebastian smirked, “I promise.” 

They chose their teacup and when the ride began, Sebastian took another slow motion video of Kurt.  Kurt and their colorful teacup were in focus, as the world around them buzzed by. He knew he would cherish this video for a long time.  

  
“How do you feel?”  Kurt asked when they got off the ride.   
“Fine, Babe.  It didn’t bother me.”  Sebastian grabbed his hand as they walked.  

“Good.  I want to ride it again tonight when it’s all lit up.  It was so pretty at night when were here last time.”

“Sure.  I’d like to ride the People Mover at night too.”  

“Me too.”

“Let’s see if there are any good FastPasses available.””  Sebastian checked the app on his phone. “Space Mountain is available in a couple of hours.”

“Oooh.  Take it!”

 

They made their way to Main Street USA to find a good seat for the parade.  They enjoyed it just as much as they had the first time. Once that was over, they went to watch Mickey’s Philharmagic again, then made their way back around toward Space Mountain.  It wasn’t the best way to avoid backtracking, but they wanted to fill their time with things they really enjoyed.  

 

After Space Mountain, they made their way back to the villa.  They packed up everything except for what they would need the next day.  

“What’s the plan for tomorrow?”  Kurt asked as he folded some clothes to put back into the suitcase.

“I have a surprise for you in the morning.  We’ll check out, go do the surprise, then head to the airport.  Mom is picking us up.”

“What kind of surprise?”

“Well, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, now would it?”  Sebastian winked at him.  Kurt just shook his head, rolled his eyes, and continued packing. 

“We picked up all of the purchases from the front desk, didn’t we?”  Kurt asked as he grabbed one of the bags.

“Yeah, we did.  I put it all into one bag last night.  Well, except for the family crest prints.  I didn’t want them to get messed up.”

“Okay, then I think we’re set.  Let's rest for a bit before we go back.”

 

The boys took a short nap before heading back to the park.  They ate dinner at Tony’s Town Square before heading to Tomorrowland to do Carousel of Progress and The People Mover again.  They slowly made their way around, enjoying the sights and sounds. Taking everything in as they rode their favorites again.  

They got on the train in back in the circus area and rode it all the way around the park, then exited at the front.  When they got off, Sebastian took Kurt’s hand, “Wait till you see this view.” They stood at the top of the train station and had a perfect view of Main Street USA all lit up, with the castle gracing the background.

“Oh my gosh, Bas.  It’s so beautiful!”  Kurt smiled as he soaked up the view.  They took some pictures, then made their way back up Main Street USA to have a better view of the Happily Ever After show.  

“Let’s go over to the side, so you feel a little safer this time.”  Sebastian pulled Kurt over to the side where there was a row of trees.  Kurt looked at him with so much love as he followed along. He was so grateful that Sebastian always had his best interest at heart.

When the show started, they stood and watched as Sebastian wrapped his arms around Kurt from behind, resting his chin on Kurt’s shoulder.  Kurt was soaking up the magic of it all. He looked around at all of the families. There were people of every ethnicity. Families with children, a couple with one on the way, groups of friends, gay couples, straight couples, old people, young people, and everything in between...All watching with fascination.  All gathered together, enjoying something of common interest. _That_ was the real magic.

When the show was over, they stayed put.  They let the crowds leave as they sat together in silence, watching the night come to a close.  When many of the guests were gone, they made their way back to the front of the castle, taking a few more pictures, then turning to head down Main Street one last time.

 

……………….

 

Saturday morning they woke to a phone call from Mickey again.  Sebastian chuckled when he heard Kurt talk back to Mickey in his sleepy voice, “Please, Mickey.  Can’t we just live above one of the shops on Main Street? I’m not asking for the castle... Mickey?  Hello? Mickey?” He hung up, sighed, and turned back to Sebastian, “Mickey’s ignoring me now.”

Sebastian smiled, “I love you, Baby.”

Kurt smiled back, “I love you, too.”  

“Let’s get up and get ready.  We have breakfast reservations.”

“We do?”  Kurt popped his head up.  

“We do.”  Sebastian sat up and walked toward the bathroom.

“Is that the surprise?”  Kurt called after him.

“Part of it.”

“Hmmm…. He’s so sneaky”  Kurt whispered into the air of the bedroom.

 

They double checked the villa to make sure them had everything.  After taking one last look at the place that they called home for their week in Disney, they headed down to the front desk.  The had their bags held for them, checked out, then went to get on the monorail.

Kurt was surprised when they stayed on the monorail until it entered the [ Contemporary Resort ](https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/contemporary-resort/) building.  Kurt thought it was so cool that the monorail actually went IN the building.  
“What are we doing here?”  Kurt asked as he looked up into the building at the multi-story Mary Blair art that was a mix of mosaic and mural.

“Having breakfast with Mickey and the gang at Chef Mickey’s.”

“Really?!”

“Really,”  Sebastian smiled at Kurt.  “It’s a buffet breakfast, so no matter what you want, they’ll have it.”

They enjoyed their breakfast, and meeting Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and Donald Duck.  They took lots of pictures and great interactions with the characters.

“That was fun, Bas!  Thank you!” Kurt leaned up and kissed Sebastian’s cheek.

 

After breakfast they headed back to the Grand Floridian and began walking outside.  As the strolled along, Sebastian spoke, “The last part of the surprise is the spa. I scheduled a couples massage to help with any achy muscles from a week of walking.  But if you aren’t comfortable with that, they said we can trade it for another service.”

Kurt smiled, “You think of everything.”

Sebastian stopped, turning toward Kurt and grabbing his hands, “Baby, that’s my job.  I love you. I will always take care of you, and try to do what’s best for you.”

Kurt had tears in his eyes, “I love you too, Bas.  More than anything. Thank you so much for always taking care of me, loving me, spoiling me.  Especially this week. It’s been perfect.”

Sebastian didn’t say anything in return.  He simply leaned down and kissed his boyfriend.  It was a small, soft kiss, but the love Kurt could feel from it was breathtaking.

 

They both enjoyed the massages, and felt great when they left the spa.  The knots in their muscles were worked out, and they felt loose and tension free as they made their way to the airport on the Magical Express.  

 

Back in Columbus, the boys grabbed their luggage and then went to meet Tori.  She smiled from ear to ear when she saw them. They both hugged her and thanked her for the gift basket.  

“Did you have a great time?  Isn’t it magical?!” Tori asked excitedly.  She was so excited that Kurt got to go.  

“It was the best week of my entire life!  There are no words to describe how magical it was.”  Kurt smiled. Sebastian’s heart warmed knowing he brought that much happiness to his boyfriend.

 

She took the boys to Dalton to pick up Kurt’s car.  They rode together back to the Smythe home, where they had dinner planned with the family.  

Leah came running down the steps and jumped into Sebastian’s arms.  He laughed, “Hi, sis. Glad to see me?”

She playfully hit him in the arm and then turned to hug Kurt with just as much enthusiasm.  “Did you have a good time? Wasn’t it great?”

Kurt laughed, “We did!  We’ll tell you all about it over dinner.”

“Good!”  Leah exclaimed.  “I have news too, ya know…”

“You do?  What’s that?”  Sebastian asked.

“Yeah!”  Leah started to bounce up and down, “Sam asked me to go to prom with him!!”  The boys both smiled. She tuned to Kurt, hands clasped together in begging position, “Kurt, PLEASE, pretty please...Will go dress shopping with me, and do my hair and makeup?  Please?!”

Kurt chuckled, “Of course, Leah.  You know I wouldn’t leave you in the hands of just anyone.  I’ll give you the full Kurt Hummel Experience. It’s going to be great!”

“Yay!  Thank you!!”  She kissed him on the cheek, then ran back up to her room.

Sebastian leaned over and whispered, “Her ‘full Kurt Hummel Experience’ is different than mine, right?”

Kurt laughed, “ _Way_ different.”

 

Dinner was great, and the Smythe’s enjoyed listening to the boy’s stories from their trip.  They agreed to come to the Hudmel home for dinner the next night so the boys could show everyone their pictures at one time.  

They put all of Kurt’s things into his smaller suitcase before Sebastian walked him to his car.  Saying goodbye to each other after such a wonderful week was the hardest part.  

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Babe.  Text me when you get home so I know you made it safely.”

Kurt sighed and she laid his head on Sebastian’s shoulder.  “Okay, Love.” He looked up at Sebastian, kissed him quickly, like ripping off a bandaid.  “I love you,” He said as he got in the car.

“I love you too.”

 

When Kurt got home, he was greeted at the door with a big bear hug from Burt.  “Hey, kiddo! I missed you! How was your trip?”

Kurt chuckled, “You know, I was only gone a two and a half more days than I would have been if it were a normal school week.” 

Burt pulled back and clapped him on the shoulder, “Doesn’t matter.  I knew you weren’t in Ohio, so that made all the difference in the world.  Sooo, how was your trip?” Everyone was gathering around to greet Kurt.

Kurt smiled, “It was the best week of my life!  It was truly magical from start to finish.”

“Tell us all about it!”  Sam said as they walked into the living room.  

“I want to see pictures!”  Finn said, coming up from behind Kurt and wrapping his arm around his shoulders.

“I invited the Smythes to dinner tomorrow night.  I hope that’s okay.  I’ll cook.  I thought it would be nice if we looked at the pictures together.  Bas and I can put our pictures on a flash drive and play it on the tv for everyone.”

“That’s a great idea, Sweetie.  Of course it’s okay.  But you need to tell us a little about it now.  We’re too excited to have to wait longer!” Carol smiled.

Kurt chuckled, “Okay.  Let me text Bas quick to let him know I’m home.”  Burt smiled at that and they headed into the living room and Kurt told them all about the resort, their villa, and a little about each park.  

 

………………….

 

On Sunday, Kurt made a casserole and all the side dishes.  He loaded his pictures onto a flash drive as well as the ones he uploaded from the Photo Pass package they bought.  He did a load of laundry and unpacked the rest of his bag. He repacked everything that he would need to take back to Dalton.  

The Smythe’s arrived for dinner right on time.  During the meal, Sebastian and Kurt entertain everyone with stories of their trip.  Kurt told them about how Superman’s kryptonite is spinny rides. Sebastian told them about how Kurt didn’t know what the ‘mark thingy’ on the putter was for.  They discussed their favorite rides, restaurants, shows, and more. Everyone was laughing and enjoying the stories.  

After dinner, they all made their way into the living room.  Kurt played his pictures first since they hadn’t had a chance to combine photos yet.  Everyone loved the pictures he had taken of the details he found.  

Sebastian smiled as he rubbed circles on Kurt’s back, “I told this to Kurt over and over.  Seeing Disney through his eyes was like seeing for the first time.  He noticed things most people don’t.  It was amazing.” Burt smiled at that.  Seeing the boys so happy made him overjoyed.

There were few pictures of Sebastian every once in a while that were candid shots.  He was surprised to see them. He looked at Kurt, “And you say _I’m_ the sneaky one.”  

When Sebastian’s pictures were up, they saw so many candid shots that Leah teased that if they hadn’t seen Kurt’s pictures, they would have thought it was just a photo shoot, and they never actually made it Disney World. 

Kurt turned to Sebastian, “You _are_ the sneaky one!”  Everyone chuckled and Seb just smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

When the video Seb snuck of Kurt seeing the castle for the first time came up, he pressed play.  Every person in the room was smiling from ear to ear.  They all chuckled at Sebastian ridiculous line he gave Kurt.  Kurt turned to him and leaned over for a kiss.  They all loved the photos, videos, and PhotoPass magic shots with them holding Tinkerbell, balloons, and even pointing at Stitch.  The ride photos were a big hit too. Especially the one from Tower Of Terror where they were screaming.  

 

When the photos stopped Sebastian got everyone’s attention again.  “The first night we were there, Kurt got a phone call from Ben Sanders.  He’s the one who plays Angel in _RENT_.  He had seen the tweet that Officer Miller had tagged us in about saving Rick’s mom and helping his cousin.  He was discussing it with some of his theater friends, who apparently knew all about us, and they all thought that our story would make a great musical.”

Everyone sat in silence for a minute, eyebrows to the sky.  Burt finally said, “Wait.  So they want to make a musical out of your story...as in Blaine, the trial, Karofsky, the stuff at school…?”

“Well, yes,”  Sebastian said, “those things would be part of the story, but from what it sounds like, it would be more about our love story...What we’ve dealt with and overcome.”

“I think it might be really good,”  Kurt said. “It may bring some important issues to the limelight if it’s successful.”

“We do have an unusual story.  And music is already such a big part of it, that it could easily turn into a musical instead of a play.  I think we should talk to Ben about it some more. What do you all think?”

Everyone seemed to agree.  “It can’t hurt to talk to him about it,”  Robert said. “When it becomes more than an idea, we can talk about the legal aspects, if you want.”

“As long it doesn’t become something that’s painful for you, Kurt.  You don’t need that.” Burt didn’t want Kurt re-living pain over and over again.

“I know what you mean, Dad.  We’ll talk to Ben, and see where it goes from there.”

 

At the end of the night, Burt hugged the boys goodbye before they left for school.  He pulled Sebastian aside, “Thanks for making that trip so amazing for him, Seb.  He had such a good time.  You really outdid yourself.”

Sebastian smiled, “It was my pleasure, Burt.  Truly.”

 

……………..

 

The boys first day back to school was exhausting, but it was nice to get back into a routine.  Kurt needed routine and rules.  He thrived on them.  

Kurt was excited to see Sugar in the morning.  They were both talking a mile a minute about everything that happened over Spring Break, and when it was time for her to go, they promised to get together in the evening to talk more.  

Classes all went well.  Lunch was fun, with everyone telling stories about their Spring Breaks.  Kurt talked to Mr. Schlotman about the history lessons that seemed to be dispersed throughout Disney World and he agreed to watch the film from the America pavilion on YouTube so he could discuss it with Kurt.  

 

After school, Puck and Sugar showed up and met Kurt in the soccer stadium to watch Sebastian practice while they talked.  To their surprise, Chris showed up as well.  

“Chris!”  Kurt got up and gave him a hug.  Puck and Sugar soon followed with hugs of their own.  “I’m so glad to see you. I wish I’d have known you were coming, I would have met you in the parking lot.”  

“It’s no big deal.  How was Disney World?”  Chris smiled.

Kurt smiled back, “It was magical!  How was Michigan?”

“Relaxing.”  He looked at Puck and Sugar, “Come up with any new recipes?”

Sugar smiled, “Yes!  I came up with a very yummy strawberry cheesecake muffin.”

Kurt frowned, “Do I not get to taste test it?  You know I love cheesecake…”

“You snooze, you lose, Princess.”  Puck smirked.  

Kurt rolled his eyes at Puck, “Did you really eat ALL of them?!”

Sugar nodded as she giggled, “Between Puck and Daddy, they didn’t even make it to the next morning.”

“Show us your pictures, Princess.”  He knew when to change the subject.

Kurt showed them some of his favorite pictures and told them some of his favorite stories.  They were all smiling enjoying seeing their friend so happy.  

“I saw you tagged on Twitter again.  Twice.” Chris smiled.

“Yeah, we saw that too.”  Sugar added, “You’re going to be famous before you even get to New York!”

“I don’t know that I want to be famous, really.”  Kurt shrugged. “A lot of weird things happened to me there.  Some cheerleaders recognized me and kind of drew a lot of attention to us.  It was weird.  It was only something small, but… I don’t know. Would I really want that on a bigger scale, all the time?  Oh! And Ben Sanders called.” Kurt proceeded to them all about Ben’s idea.  They seemed to think it was a pretty great idea.   

Kurt, Sebastian, Puck, Sugar, Chris, and Thad all went to dinner together.  They each shared stories of their week off. During dinner, Kurt got a text from Leah.  Apparently, she and Tori were in Columbus shopping, and they decided to try on prom dresses.  She sent him three pictures.

 

**To Kurt:**

I like the top of the first one, the bottom of the second one, and I like the third okay, but not the color.  What do you think?

 

Kurt looked up from his phone, “Sorry to text during dinner, but Leah is having prom dress issues.  It’ll only take a minute.” Sebastian chuckled, and Sugar leaned over to see the pictures.  

 

**To Leah:**

I agree with all of your points.  Is there anything in the green family there?  That would be great with your eyes.  

 

**To Kurt:**

Only this one (she attached a picture).... And NO.  This is not a joke. They are actually selling a dress that color.  

 

Sugar looked at the picture, “Oh my gosh.  No.  Just no.” Kurt giggled.

 

**To Leah:**

Sugar is with me.  We both agree that is a definite no.  Maybe I could meet you tomorrow and shop a little?

 

**To Kurt:**

Ohmygoshyesplease!!!!

 

**To Leah:**

LOL I’ll call you after Warbler rehearsal and find out where you are and meet you there.  If we can’t find you the perfect dress, I can always make you one. Don’t stress about it.

 

**To Kurt:**

Perfect!  Thank you.  I love you sooooo much!

 

**To Leah:**

Love you too.  See you then.

 

Kurt turned to Sugar, “Want to go dress shopping tomorrow?”

Sugar shook her head, “I wish I could, but I have to bake after Glee.”

“Okay.  Do you know what you’re wearing to prom?”  Kurt asked.

Sugar sighed and became very dramatic, “I don’t know if I’m going to prom… nobody has asked me yet.”  Everyone at the table laughed, then all eyes were on Puck.  

He rolled his eyes and shook his head, “Should I have to ask you?  We come as a set now.  We’re a pair.  I assumed…”  He made a gesture like it was obvious.

“Yes, you have to ask me!”  Sugar put her hands on her hips as she frowned.

Kurt raised his eyebrows and played with the straw in his drink, “You know what they say about the word ‘assume’.  It makes an ‘ass’ out of ‘u’ and ‘me’....”

Puck made a face, “Oh, shut it, Princess.”  Everyone laughed some more. Puck turned to Sugar, “I am so sorry that I messed up.  Sugar, would you please be my date to prom?  It would be my honor to escort you.”

Sugar playfully glared at Puck, “I’m going to ignore the smartass tone, and just say ‘yes’, because I love you.”

Puck smiled and kissed her, “Good.  I love you, too.”

 

.............

 

On Tuesday, Kurt met Tori and Leah at Neiman Marcus in Columbus after Warbler rehearsal.  They were already in the dress department, and he greeted Tori with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.  Leah was in the dressing room.  When Kurt sat down, and employee was on her way in, bringing Leah another handful of dresses.  

“Are those for Leah?”  Kurt asked.

The woman nodded, “Yes.  Are you her boyfriend?  Brother?”

Tori smiled, “Future brother-in-law.”

Kurt smiled and shook his head.  He only blushed a little, much to his own surprise, “Here’s hoping.”  He motioned to the dresses, “May I?”

The woman nodded, and held out the dresses.  Kurt took them and hung them on the end of a nearby rack, so he could see them individually. There were six dresses, and as he went through them, Tori heard him mumble things like, “wrong color for her skin tone...too slutty...too ugly…”  He held up the three that might stand a chance. “She can try these. The others won’t work.” He smiled at her, “Thanks.”  

Tori giggled as the woman wordlessly took the other dresses back to Leah.

Leah came out wearing a strapless red dress that was form fitted all the way down to her knees.  

Kurt shook his head, “You do expect me to be honest, right?”  Leah nodded, so he continued, “I think this looks too old for you.  You need something fuller at the bottom, or something that hangs from your waist.  Not something so form fitting.  You have a fantastic figure, but this doesn't match who you are.  It'll look like you're trying too hard.  This dress would fit Santana’s coloring and personality, but not yours.”

Tori cocked her head to the side, “I agree.”

“Okay, you're right.  I’m going to try the ones you approved.”  She went back in to try on the dresses. The first one had some great details at the top.  The bust fit well, but the bottom was an odd length that none of them quite understood.  The second was nice on the bottom.  The top was okay, but too big in the chest. Kurt pulled it back at the zipper. It looked better, but still wasn’t wowing anyone.  The third, again, lacked that something special. The color was a nice blush that complimented Leah’s skin tone really well, but it didn’t have any other great qualities.

“Okay, I need to eat.”  Leah said as she made her way into the dressing room.  

Kurt turned to Tori, “Where else have you shopped?”

Tori took a deep breath and raised her eyebrows.  It was the look of an exhausted mother, and Kurt couldn't help but smile.  She answered, “Nordstrom, Macy’s, JCPenny, Kohl’s...All of the major department stores.  We even looked at a couple of boutique stores at Easton Mall, and at David’s Bridal.”

 

While they waited at dinner, Kurt got out his sketchbook, “Okay, Leah.  Tell me what kind of top you’ve liked best.” Leah described what she liked, Kurt sketched.  Leah and Tori watched as the words from Leah’s mouth became images before their eyes. “Okay, what about the bottom half?”  The process repeated. Kurt added a few touches that he thought would be good, and then turned the sketch toward Leah and Tori.  “What do you think?”

“It’s perfection.”  Leah said with hearts in her eyes.  

Kurt smiled, “Where’s the closest fabric store?”

 

 


	53. Show Choir Nationals & NY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both the Warblers and New Directions head to Nationals. The boys meet with Ben and his friends to discuss their story and the musical. Puck and Sugar get to see the place they'll call home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Be prepared for a super long chapter...Three times longer than normal (which is why it took so long).  
> ~In my fic, Sugar actually has a great voice, lol.  
> ~Please see notes at the end for some special "thank you" notes!
> 
> ***KIND comments are always welcome and appreciated. Kudos do a heart good, too.***

 

The next few weeks became crazier and crazier for Kurt and his entire family.  Everyone was practicing overtime for Nationals. The New Directions had finally chosen their songs, so they began practicing a lot more.  Sebastian, Thad, and Cameron were at the soccer field if they weren’t at Warbler rehearsal. Kurt was working on Leah’s dress a lot, and everyone was studying like crazy since the end of the year finals were only a month away.  

Because of extra Warbler rehearsals, Kurt was no longer able to make the pre-scheduled coffee dates he had made with his McKinley friends.  He made up for it by going home every weekend, even if his Dad was out of town. Those were the weekends that he used to stay with the Smythe’s, but he needed to see his friends, too.  Sebastian would usually spend at least one night with him at home, then spend some time with his family as well. They started having Sunday dinner at the Smythe’s so that Kurt could see Robert, Tori, and Leah before the boys headed back to school.  He missed them like he missed his friends and family in Lima. It was tough to balance sometimes, but they made it work. They figured they’d do what they needed to do to be able to spend time with everyone now. Soon, they would be in another city...another state...So they made it work as best they could.

Kurt and Sebastian did their best to make sure they were taking care of each other.  Sebastian was making sure Kurt was eating, getting as much homework done during study hall as possible, and getting at least _some_ down time each day.  Kurt was supportive of Sebastian and his team.  He cheered for him at all of the games, and even came to couple of practices.  He gave Sebastian massages to ease any muscle aches, and made sure that he got plenty of rest.  

They did scene several times, but they did not have time to explore and experiment too much.  They decided to wait until things settled down so that they could have proper discussions about it, both before and after.  Kurt kneeling for Sebastian was a good filler every once in a while. It made them both feel better. Even if it was simply kneeling in front of Sebastian while they did their homework in a dorm room, it put Kurt at ease.  He felt comfortable and relaxed. Any tension drained from his body. For Seb, it gave him the comfort of having Kurt there, open and accepting. He would run his fingers through Kurt’s hair, or rest his hand on his shoulder as they studied.  He would simply pull up a desk chair to use as a desk as he knelt. His head wasn’t bowed, and his hands were free to work, but the idea was there, and that was a big comfort.

 

………………..

 

On Thursday, the week before leaving for Nationals, the boys were eating dinner in the cafeteria, when Sebastian got a text.  He glanced at it, then excused himself. When he returned, he was accompanied by Santana and Brittany, who came in holding pinkie fingers with each other.  Needless to say, all heads turned. Kurt got up and gave them both hugs, as did Nick, Jeff, Cameron, and Thad. Kurt and Sebastian brought the girls over to sit with them.

“What brings you two here to Dalton?”  Sebastian asked.

“Well,”  Santana began, “we have a problem, and you two could be the ones to help fix it.”  Both girls looked at Kurt and Sebastian with hopeful expressions.

“Okay, well, we’ll try.  What’s the problem?” Kurt asked with a bit of apprehension in his voice.  

“Well, Porcelain, we’re here to ask you and your hottie boyfriend to be our dates to the Prom.”  Santana sat back in her chair and smirked at the expression on Kurt’s face.  

Kurt raised his eyebrows in surprise, then he and Sebastian both laughed when they heard Lucas, who was sitting at a nearby table, say, “How come the gay guys get the hot girls to ask them to prom?  How is that fair?”

They laughed even harder when Brittany looked at Lucas and said, “Because they are boy dolphins, and we’re girl dolphins.  So in a weird way, dolphins all go together. Especially around so many sharks.”

They weren’t laughing at Brittany.  Knowing Britt, what she said made perfect sense.  It was the look on Lucas’ face that was hilarious.  Complete and utter confusion. Thad got up and went to whisper something in Lucas’ ear.  “Oooooohhhhh….” was the last thing they heard from Lucas.

Sebastian looked at the girls, “But all the sharks know we’re dolphins.  So how is that going to help?”

Kurt knitted his eyebrows together and grinned, looking at Sebastian in total amusement.  Seb looked at Kurt and shrugged, “What? We all understand ‘dolphin speak’.” He smiled and kissed Kurt on the temple as Kurt giggled.

Brittany got very serious, “We talked to the meanest sharks.  They promised to leave you alone. I think they feel bad that you had to swim in another school again.”

“Even Rick?  And Azimio and his lemmings?”  Kurt asked.

Brittany looked at Santana, “What kind of fish is a lemming?”  Jeff bit his lip and he and Cameron both had to turn the other direction.  

Santana smiled, “No, Sweetie, a lemming isn’t a fish.”  She looked back to Kurt, “Yes. We specifically spoke to those two, plus a few others.  Look, we feel bad that you had to come here in the first place. We don’t want you to miss out on your Senior Prom because of it.  Come back, just for Prom. Please?”

Sebastian looked at Kurt.  He could tell he was struggling with what he wanted to do.  Kurt answered, “We’re already going to the Dalton Ball…”

Santana shrugged, “So, go to both.”  She nodded toward Cameron, “Hot Stuff over there is doing both.  Right Cam?”

Cameron nodded, “Yeah.”  He looked at Kurt, “You know we’ve all got your back.”  

Sebastian put his hand on Kurt’s knee, and Kurt turned to look at him.  Sebastian gave a little squeeze, then turned to Santana and Brittany, “How about you give him some time to think about it.  Whatever he decides is fine with me.” He looked at Kurt again, “It would be nice to keep an eye on my sister.”

Santana rolled her eyes, “What are you going to do next year?  Besides, you know she’s safe with Sam.”

Sebastian nodded, “I know she is.  I trust Sam completely. It’s the other people I worry about.  You should have seen how people were looking at her in the Fall.  Now she’ll be in the amazing dress Kurt is making her...And next year, I’m still going to worry about her.  That won’t change.”

Santana nodded as she smirked, “She is freaking hot as hell.”  Brittany nodded in agreement.  

Kurt put his hand on Sebastian’s back as he glared at Santana across the table.  “Tana, why do you insist on pushing his buttons?!” Kurt scolded.

“Because...He’s hot as hell, too.  Especially when he gets all protective and pissy like that.”  She shrugged and wiggled her eyebrows.

Kurt looked at Sebastian, “Well, she’s not wrong.”

 

………………..

 

Sunday dinner at the Smythe’s house was a nice way to make sure everyone was on the same page.  They had invited Kurt’s family to dinner as well, so everyone could catch up and then be informed as to what the week and following weekend was going to look like.   

“So what’s new with you kids?  Anything exciting happening?” Burt asked over dinner.

Leah smiled, “Well, as you know, Kurt is making my Prom dress, and I have to say, it’s _gorgeous_!”

Kurt smiled, “Not as gorgeous it will be with you in it.  It’s really coming along though.” He paused, “Santana and Brittany asked Bas and I to be their dates to Prom so I wouldn’t miss it.  I haven’t decided yet.”

“I think it would be nice, Sweetie.  You know everyone would be there to make sure nothing bad happened.”  Carol said.

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  I just can’t decide if I want to do it.  I kinda felt like the door to McKinley was closed for me.  I don’t know if I want to reopen it or not. But at the same time, I won’t get back this time with my friends.”

“That’s a tough call, Bud.  Whatever you decide to do, I’m sure everyone will make sure you’re alright.”  

Sebastian added, “Yeah.  Brittany said they already talked to some of the guys like Azimio and even Rick.  She said they seemed to feel bad and said they’d leave us alone.”

Kurt chuckled, “Actually, Brittany said that they talked to the sharks…”

Everyone giggled.  “That girl is something else,”  Robert smiled. “So what else is new?”

Sebastian said, “I went to the glassblowing class a couple of weeks ago that Kurt got me for Valentine’s Day.  I picked my piece up yesterday. I think it turned out pretty well. I’ll have to show everyone after dinner.”

Sam asked, “How did you like it?  I thought it always looked really cool.  I mean, I’m more of a 2D artist, but I would love to try that.”

Sebastian smiled, “It was amazing.  They helped every step of the way, but it was completely hands on and a total learning experience.  I’m no Dale Chihuly, but I think the ornament I made could hang up and not be too much of an eye sore.”  Kurt smiled at him. He couldn’t wait to see the ornament Sebastian made.

“I didn’t know you were an artist, Sam.”  Robert said.

“Yeah.  Art is what I do best, actually.  I even made a macaroni portrait of Kurt,”  He laughed.

“Don’t laugh, Sam.”  Kurt smiled, “It’s actually amazingly impressive.  Who knew macaroni could look like that...Only an artist.”

“I have to see it.  Please tell me you still have it.”  Sebastian couldn’t wait to set eyes on that portrait.  

Sam nodded, “I do.  No worries.”

Tori asked, “So, about this weekend...What’s happening with each of the schools?”

Finn answered, “New Directions are getting out of school for Friday.  We’ll be taking a bus, then spending the night Friday and Saturday night in New York.  Mr. Schuester and Ms. Pillsbury are our chaperones.”

Tori nodded, then looked at Seb and Kurt, “Boys?”

Kurt said, “Luckily I was able to sweet talk Mr. Schlotman into being our chaperone.”  

Sebastian interrupted, “He could talk Mr. Schlotman into anything.  They are so funny together.”

Kurt nodded and smiled, “I love Mr. Schlotman!  Anyway, the Warblers are flying out on Friday, just after lunch.  Bas, Cam, and Thad are flying out later since they have a game Friday after school.  Dad and Carol are going to be coming from DC, so I’ll meet them at the penthouse later.”

Sebastian nodded, “Kurt will show them around and introduce them to the staff.  They’ll stay there, and Kurt and I will join the rest of the Warblers at the hotel.  We’re rooming with Niff.”

Burt chimed in, “I’m looking forward to seeing the security at the penthouse.”  Kurt rolled his eyes, but grinned anyway.  

Robert added, “I’m sure you’ll like it.  We’ll be joining you on Saturday morning.”

“What about meeting with Ben?”  Carol asked the boys.

Kurt answered, “I texted back and forth with him last week.  They are going to meet us at our place Saturday night. He said they may even try to make it to the competition.”  Tori smiled at Kurt calling it ‘our place’. That’s what it is...No need to keep calling ‘the penthouse’.

“Who are ‘they’?”  Burt asked.

“I’m not sure, actually.  I’m assuming it’s his theater friends that he had been talking to about this.”  Kurt shrugged then looked at Finn and Sam, “You two are welcome to come Saturday too.  I want you to see where we’ll be living, but I know you may have plans with the rest of the Glee Club.  I’m sure you’ll understand when I say that I’d rather Rachel not come. Two things will happen...she’ll want to live with us, which I don’t want, and she’ll want to talk to Ben and his friends about Broadway.  I don’t want to waste their time. I hope you understand.”

Finn nodded, “Dude, I totally get it.  I’d at least like to see it. We can meet up with everyone else later if we want.”

Sebastian added, “On Sunday, Puck, Sugar, Vinny, and Cindy are meeting us at our place.  Puck and Sugar are probably going to be staying with us for a couple of months until their apartment is finished being refurbished.  We’re going to go with them to see the building they just bought. I’m sure they’d love for you guys to come if it works with your flight times.”

“I’d love to.  We’re on the same flight as you,”  Robert said.

“I’d love to see it as well.”  Burt smiled. “I think it’s great that they’re staying with you two for awhile.  It’ll make for a good transition for you all.”

Leah added, “It’s going to be the first time Puck has ever flown.  Sugar said he’s nervous.”

Kurt smirked, “I know the feeling well.  If we’re on the same flight, he and I can hold each other the whole time.”

Everyone chuckled then looked at Sebastian.  “What?” He said, “I would hope Kurt would want ME to hold him, but other than the men in this room, Puck is one of the only guys I trust fully.  It helps that he’s straight.” Everyone chuckled again. 

“Of course I’d choose you, Love.”  Kurt leaned over and kissed his cheek.

 

After dinner, everyone sat around in the living room for awhile.  Sebastian showed them the ornament he had made.  
“Bas!  That’s beautiful!  We need to get one of those ornament stands they sell at Christmas time, but put it out all year.”

“You think?”  Sebastian made a face.

Kurt made his ‘are you crazy’ face, “Yes!  It’s so good! Tell me how you did it.”

“Well, you gather glass on the end of the pipe, directly from the furnace.  Then you choose your colors, and roll the blob of glass in little flakes of color.  You have to keep putting it back in the glory hole...I know, awful name...which is the hole where you reheat it so that the glass stays plenty hot.  When you blow air in, it’s actually short bursts of air, not long ones like blowing a balloon. To shape it, you can roll it, constantly, on this metal bench using a fireproof gloves, things that look like giant tweezers, and a wooden paddle.  If you want it perfect-ish, or you want to have a texture other than smooth, you actually put it in a mold that looks like a metal cup and blow. It was really cool to experience. I loved Chihuly before, but now I have a whole new respect for him...Even though he no longer does a lot of his own blown glass work.  Still, it’s amazing.”  

“Man, I’m gonna have to try that.”  Sam said.

 

At the end of the evening, Kurt and Sebastian made their way back up to their dorm rooms.  “Are you okay, Baby? You’ve been kind of quiet.”

Kurt gave a small smile, “Yes, Love.  I just keep thinking about next weekend.  I hate that we’re competing against New Directions.  I think I want them to win as much as I want to win.”

Sebastian wrapped his arm around Kurt’s waist as they walked, “I know what you mean.  All we can do is try our best, and they’ll try their best, and whatever happens, happens.”

Kurt sighed, “I know.”

 

…………………

 

The rest of the week went rather quickly.  On Friday morning, Kurt met Vinny outside of Dalton.  He had the treats Sugar had baked, since the New Directions were already on the bus and headed for New York.

“Did everyone make it to the bus on time this morning?”  Kurt asked.  

Vinny smiled, “Yeah.  Sugar is used to mornings, but the rest of them looked like zombies.  Hopefully they can sleep on the bus some.”

Kurt looked concerned for a minute, “Please tell me they got a tour bus, and not a school bus.”

Vinny chuckled, “Yeah, they did.”  He looked around as they entered the building, “This is some place, Kurt.  It’s fancy.”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  Luckily, I got a scholarship this time, so it’s not cutting into my college funds.  Someone had set up a scholarship for people who needed to come here because of bad situations at their home school.  I thought that was really nice.”

“It is.  Did you decide on a college yet?”

Kurt shook his head, “No.  Sometimes I think I’ve made a decision, then something happens to change my mind, or make me doubt.”

“Whatever you choose, you’ll be great.”  Vinny smiled. He love Kurt, and knew how far his talents stretched.  

“Hey, Vinny….”  Kurt wanted to say something, but was hesitant.

“Spit it out, Kurt.”

Kurt smiled and chuckled a bit before he became serious, “I just wanted to thank you.  Not just for how accepting and supportive you’ve been of me, but how awesome you’ve been to Noah.  He’s never really had a dad. His left when he was little, and his mom is pretty useless, when she’s there.  I honestly don’t know how he turned out to be so amazing, since he basically raised himself. He’s a fantastic guy.  He loves Sugar with every ounce of his body, mind, and soul. You accepting him, and including him in all the New York plans...I can’t tell you how amazing that is, and how it makes him feel.”

Vinny nodded, “I’ve always liked Puck.  I knew he had a rough start, and that’s not a problem for me.  But what sealed the deal was when you and Sugar were in the hospital.  He would have done anything to take her pain away. He wanted to take care of Mack himself for what he did to the two of you.  The kind of love he repeatedly shows her… That’s the real deal. Sugar’s happiness is my happiness.”

Kurt smirked, “You sound like Bas.”

Vinny smiled, “He’s a keeper too, ya know.”

Kurt nodded, “Don’t I know it.  Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

 

Before going down to breakfast, Sebastian sat on the edge of his bed, making sure he had everything he needed for New York, while Nick did the same.  

“Hey, Nick, can ask you a favor?”

“Sure,” Nick said as he turned toward Sebastian.

“Kurt doesn’t like flying.  He’s getting better about it, but it’s not his favorite.  This will be the first time he’s flown without me. Each time, I’ve been there for him as his Dom.  Now, there’s nothing you can do about _that_ , but can you and Jeff just make sure you’re there for him?  He may need some physical contact or something. There’s no way to tell until you’re in the moment.”

Nick nodded, “Of course.  We’ll take good care of him, Seb.”  He could tell Sebastian was really worried.

“Thanks.  He’s taking his weighted blanket with him as a carry-on.  I read that sometimes that can be an issue with TSA because they worry about the filler in the blanket. His is glass beads, if anyone asks.  He got Dr. Jameson to write a note classifying it as medical equipment for his PTSD. I also called ahead and made sure TSA knew he was bringing it. It shouldn’t be a problem, but if it is, and they confiscate it, remind him that I will buy him another one tonight.  They even sell them at Target. It’s not a problem.”

“He’ll be fine, Seb.”  Nick tried to reassure him.

“I know this all sounds ridiculous, but I don’t want him stressed out.”  Sebastian sighed.

Nick shook his head, “It’s not ridiculous.  It’s sweet. I promise we’ll help him however we can.”

Sebastian nodded and sighed.  He hated that Kurt was going without him, but understood that he wanted to be a part of the group.  They would be spending enough time on their own, or with their families, that Kurt needed to feel like part of the team.

 

The Warblers made it through airport security with no problems.  Kurt was relieved that he didn’t have any issues with his blanket.  As they sat at the gate, waiting for boarding, Kurt was fidgeting and bouncing his leg.  

“Kurtsie, it will be fine.  You can sit in between Nicky and I.”  Jeff rubbed his back and spoke softly.  Is there anything I can do for you?”

Kurt shook his head, “No.  I’ll be okay.” Nick and Jeff were not convinced, but they dropped it for now.  

Kurt’s phone dinged, so he pulled it out and looked.

 

**From Bas:**

I’ll be thinking about you, Baby.  Everything will be fine. I’ll see you in a few hours.  I love you.

 

Kurt sent a quick ‘I love you, too’ text back.  He covered himself with his blanket, leaned back in his chair, and took a deep breath.  It wasn’t that he hated flying. He didn’t like it, but he didn’t hate it. It was just something he wasn’t comfortable with, and not having Sebastian there to  help, was eating away at him, slowly but surely. Several of the guys gave worried looks. They hated seeing Kurt upset.

 

When they boarded the plane, Kurt did as suggested and sat between Nick and Jeff.  He covered himself with the blanket and closed his eyes. He was trying to find that headspace where he could let it all go, but it was proving to be pointless.  

“Are you okay?”  Nick asked.

Kurt tried to be lighthearted about it, “Sure.  I’m just not used to coach.” The boys chuckled.

 

Things were going okay, until the plane began rolling down the tarmac to it’s runway.   Kurt closed his eyes tight, and his breathing became heavy. Nick reached over and grabbed his hand, automatically rubbing his thumb over Kurt’s knuckles. 

Jeff grabbed his other hand.  “Kurtsie, take a deep breath. It’s okay.”  

When Kurt’s breathing became too labored, the plane was already gaining speed as it made its way down the runway.  Kurt was in a full blown panic attack.

Jeff turned in his seat as much as he could to face Kurt.  He brought Kurt’s hand up to his own chest, and repeated what he had seen Sebastian do after the incident with Shawn.  “Match my breathing, Kurtsie. Take a deep breath. Count to 10 slowly in your head. Once you get to 10, count backwards to 0.  Look at me, Kurt.”  

Kurt opened his eyes and looked at Jeff.  He saw nothing but love and concern and his friend’s eyes.  

Nick rubbed Kurt’s back as Jeff continued, “We’ve got you.  You’re okay. Take a deep breath, then match my breathing.”

Kurt’s breathing became more even fairly quickly.  By the time he was breathing better, the plane was in the air and nearing altitude.  

Kurt turned toward Jeff and whispered, “Thank you.”  He turned to Nick, “Both of you.”

“We love you, Kurtsie.  We’ll always be here for you.”  Jeff leaned over and kissed Kurt on the forehead.  

“Yeah, you’re kind of stuck with us.”  Nick smiled.  

Kurt grinned back, “I’m okay with that.”

As soon as the ‘fasten seat belt’ sign was turned off, Mr. Schlotman came up and asked Kurt if he was doing okay.

“I’m fine, Mr. Schlotman.  Thanks for checking.”

“You boys just let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Mr. Schlotman.”  Jeff smiled.

 

Kurt did much better on the plane’s descent, and was happy to be on solid ground again as they exited the plane.  The Warblers headed outside and all piled into two of the vans that the hotel had sent for them. When they arrived at their hotel, [ Parker New York ](https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/new-york/parker-new-york/lgatp), Kurt looked around the lobby.  He thought the word ‘fancy’ didn’t even come close to describing what he saw.

“How did we get such a good deal on our room rates?  This place is...amazing.” Kurt asked.  

Mr. Schlotman leaned over, “Something about Trent’s grandparents owning it?”

Kurt’s eyes widened, “Wow.”

Once they were checked in, the boys all headed to their rooms to get settled before meeting in the hotel restaurant for dinner.  Kurt stood by the window and looked out at the city that he would be calling home in a couple of months. He couldn’t wait.

Nick walked up and stood next to him, “Are you excited about moving here?”

Kurt grinned, “You have no idea.”  Kurt put his hand on Nick’s shoulder and pointed with the other, “We’ll be living right over there.”

Jeff walked up and looked, “Like as in that direction, or….”

Kurt shook his head, “No.  As in that building. It’s hard to describe which one.  It’s right there next to Central Park. Not the tallest one, but it’s maybe three down from that one?”

“Wow.  So it’s a nice place, huh?”  Jeff asked.  

“Very.  We’ll have plenty of room for when you two come visit.  That’s more than a friendly request.” Kurt smiled.

Nick laughed, “We can take a hint.  We can take a train every once in awhile. We’ll be in Boston, so it wouldn’t be too long of a commute.”  

“I’m going to hold you to that,”  Kurt said as he walked back toward the bathroom.  

Jeff didn’t look away from the view, “I’m holding you to that too, Nicky.”

 

After dinner, Kurt took a taxi to the penthouse.  When he got there, he was greeted by Raymond, “Good evening, Mr. Hummel!  It’s nice to see you again! Welcome home!”

Kurt smiled, “Thank you, Raymond!  How have you been?” 

Raymond flashed his bright smile, “Fantastic, Sir.  Thanks for asking.”

“Always my pleasure, Raymond.”  

Kurt went in and was greeted by George, “Welcome home, Mr. Hummel!”

Kurt smiled, “Thanks, George.  It’s good to see you again!”

“You too, Sir.  Are you ready for school to be over so you can make the big move?”

“Oh, as much as I’ll miss our friends and family, I can’t wait to move to the city.”  Kurt smiled.

Just then, Burt and Carol came into the lobby.  Kurt looked back and smiled. “Hi!” He gave them each a hug.

“This is some place.”  Burt said looking around.

“It’s beautiful, Sweetie.”  Carol smiled.  

Kurt nodded, “The man who let you in was Raymond.  And this,” he gestured, “is George. George, this is my father, Burt Hummel, and my step-mother, Carol Hummel.”

They all shook hands, “It’s nice to meet you, Congressman Hummel, Mrs. Hummel.”

Burt raised an eyebrow, surprised George knew he was a congressman.  George added, “I follow politics closely. I’d be voting for you if I lived in Ohio.  You’re doing great things, Sir.”

Kurt beamed and could have sworn his dad blushed.  “Thank you.”

George turned to Kurt, “Mrs. Smythe gave the penthouse the same treatment as last time.  It’s been cleaned and there are fresh groceries waiting for you.”

Kurt smiled and shook his head, “Thank you, George.”

“No problem.  Have a good evening.”

“You too.”  Kurt led Burt and Carol to the elevator.  Once inside, he swiped his key, entered the number, then explained how the elevator system worked.  

“I liked that that Raymond guy basically asked why we were here...in the most polite way possible.”  Burt smiled.

Kurt nodded, “Yeah, he did the same to us when we first got her last time.  He’s new since Bas was here years ago. All of the staff seem really great.”

The door of the elevator opened and they stepped out.

“Oh. My. God.”  Carol breathed.  “This is _gorgeous_ , Kurt!”

“Holy shit, Bud.”  Burt walked in further and turned in a circle.  “Your pictures just didn’t do it justice.”

Kurt was biting his lip, “I know.”  He took their bags and set them at the bottom of the stairs.  “Let me show you around.” Kurt walked in and said, “This is the great room, obviously.  Over this way is the dining room and kitchen.” Burt and Carol walked behind him, following along, “Through here is the laundry room.  I think I’m going to use it as my sewing room.”

“It’s certainly big enough.  Those cabinets are fantastic.”  Carol said.  

Kurt showed them the emergency exit, the bathroom, the office, and then they settled in the kitchen for a few minutes.  

“It’s pretty unbelievable, isn’t it?”  Kurt said, almost shyly.  

“It’s awesome, Bud.  And don’t for one minute think you don’t deserve to live here with Seb.”

“He’s right, Sweetie.  This place is perfect. I know it kind of makes you uncomfortable that you get all of this, but don’t let it.  Sebastian loves you so much. He just happens to come from money. And with that money, comes luxury and security.”

Kurt nodded, “By the end of our weekend here, I felt very comfortable.  But being here without him, it’s just...weird. It will take awhile to feel like _my_ home without him here.”

“I know.  But you’ll get used to it.  Let’s see upstairs.” Burt smiled.

Kurt showed them the upstairs bedrooms, “You guys will be using our bedroom.  Leah will use her normal bedroom, and Robert and Tori will take the room on the end.”

Burt shook his head, “Robert and Tori should take this room.”

“Dad, Tori insisted.  And you guys will be here two nights.  Take this one. Enjoy the terrace, and the fantastic shower.  Be spoiled for a while. It’s the most comfortable bed in the world.”

“I want to see the terrace,”  Carol smiled as she opened the door and went outside.  “Amazing…”

They all headed back downstairs and went out on the terrace below.  “I’ll never tire of these views,” Kurt sighed. “And look,” walked to the right and pointed, “There’s a hot tub.”

Carol smiled, “I hope you expect company.  I’m coming to vacation here.”

Kurt laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, “Any time.  I would love the company.”

 

Kurt, Burt, and Carol were sitting in the living room chatting when Sebastian arrived.  The elevator door opened and he came in smiling, “Honey, I’m home!”

Kurt’s face lit up and he ran over to Sebastian giving him a huge hug and kiss on the cheek.  Burt and Carol smiled at how in love the boys were.  

“Bas, I’m never flying without you again.  Please don’t make me.” Kurt playfully pouted, but was only half joking.

Sebastian leaned back, put his hand on Kurt’s cheek, “Rough flight?”

Kurt turned, kissed Sebastian’s palm, and answered, “Technically, the flight was fine.  But I had a little panic attack.”

Sebastian raised his eyebrows, “Little?”  Kurt shrugged. “I’m sorry, Baby. I’ll be there for the flight home.  No worries.” They walked into the great room. “Hi Burt, Carol.”

“Hey, Seb.  How was the game?  Did you win?” Burt smiled.

“We did!  7-2. So did Kurt show you around?”

Burt nodded, “He did.  It’s beautiful, Sebastian.”

“ _Really_ beautiful,”  Carol agreed.

“I’m glad you like it.  We can take you on a tour of the building if you like.  I’ve spoken with Mr. Carmack, the head of security. He said you are welcome to stop in any time tomorrow morning if you’d like more details about the security here.  I’m not sure he’ll be able to tell you more than we already have, but seeing it may help put it into perspective. He’ll be here until noon tomorrow.”  

“That would be nice.  Thanks for calling him.”

 

Kurt gave Burt his key to the penthouse before he and Sebastian took Burt and Carol on a tour of the building, and saying their goodbyes in the lobby.  

“Good luck tomorrow, boys.  We are so proud of you both,”  Burt said as he hugged them.  
“You boys get plenty of rest tonight, and make sure to eat a good breakfast.”  Carol hugged them tight and held on for a few extra seconds. George was smiling at them, but trying not to be too obvious about it.

“We will.  I promise.”  Kurt smiled. “We’ll see you after the competition.  Love you both.”

“We love you, too.”  Burt and Carol said at the same time.

 

 ………………..

 

Saturday morning, Kurt woke up in Sebastian’s arms.  “Mmm. Good morning, Baby”

Kurt smiled, “Mornin’, Love.”  He leaned up and kissed Sebastian.  

They laid in bed kissing for a minute before they heard Jeff.  “Mmm. It’s like my own personal porno. And you two are so hot.”

The boys snickered into the kiss, then Kurt turned and threw a pillow at Jeff, who was standing at the edge of their bed.  

“Alright, my horny little hottie, let’s get ready.”  Nick said as he pulled Jeff away from their bed.  

“You’re no fun, Nicky!”

 

After breakfast, the Warblers all met in one of the rooms to go over the days events.  As Captain of the Warblers, Sebastian took the lead. “Okay. Let’s review the rules and requirements, so that we are all clear.  We’ll talk schedules, lunch, etc. then we’ll head out.”

Mr. Schlotman asked, “Is there anything you need me to do today?”

“Nope!”  Kurt said, popping the ‘p’ as he crossed his legs, “Just enjoy the show, Mr. S.”

Mr. Schlotman and Sebastian both smiled and shook their heads.  Kurt was so cute when he exuding confidence like he seemed to be today.

Sebastian continued, “Okay.  Rules state that we need at least three songs...One group, one duet, one solo, and at least one must have a dance number.  We have that covered. One song can include multimedia or tech of some sort. Kurt, that’s you. Are you still okay with the video for your song?”

Kurt nodded, “Yep.  All set, and good to go.”

“Okay.  When we get there, we’ll sign in and then we will be given our placement in the lineup.  Lunch is provided during a scheduled break. Do not leave the building until the winners have been announced.  Stick together. We’ll watch other groups perform, but not all. We’ll leave to get ready about three groups before us, then we’ll return to the auditorium about three groups after us.  Final three will be called to the stage where the winners will be announced. Remember, you are representing the men of Dalton Academy, and must act accordingly. All of your behavior from the time you put on your uniform is a direct representation of the school.”  Sebastian paused, “Any questions?”

An underclassman asked, “What about after we perform?  Like, when the competition is over?”

Mr. Schlotman answered, “We will come back here to change into your non-uniform clothes.  If you are under 18, you are going with me to see a play. If you are 18 or over, you had a choice.  You could go see the play, or go out on your own, but you must go in groups. We will meet 30 minutes after arriving back here to change.  Just a reminder, New York is not Ohio. Be. Careful.”

Sebastian added, “I believe most of you signed up to go see the play.  Kurt and I are going to our place to meet with family, Cameron is meeting Quinn and the New Directions, but other than that, I believe everyone was signed up for the play.  Mr. S is right. It’s not Columbus. It’s big, and fast, and loud. Be aware of your surroundings and stick together.”

 

When their hotel vans pulled up in front of Carnegie Hall, Kurt smiled.  “Let’s do this!”

Sebastian smiled in return as they stepped out onto the sidewalk.  “I’m glad you aren’t nervous, Baby.”

“Oh, I’m a little nervous.  But, when will we ever get to perform at Carnegie Hall again?”

Jeff stepped up next to Kurt as they looked at the famous building, “Oh, I don’t know, Kurtsie...If it’s you we’re talking about…Next year maybe?”  Sebastian and Nick both chuckled. The four of them took a quick selfie with the building behind them.

 

Sebastian signed them in and got their placement.  He turned in the flash drive with their video on it.  Before they could make it to the auditorium, they were engulfed in the arms of the New Directions.  There were hugs and excited banter all around.  

“I’m assuming you guys know these kids?”  Mr. Schlotman asked.

Kurt chuckled, “Yes, Mr. Schlotman.  These are the New Directions, my former Glee Club from McKinley.”

“Ah, that explains it.” 

They were all interrupted by Madame Tibideaux.  She cleared her throat, and everyone stopped talking.  Mr. Schuester wondered how she could silence a room with just a simple throat clearing.  All eyes were on her. 

She approached Rachel, “Miss Berry.  After countless phone calls from you, I will agree to watch you perform today.  However, if I am pleased, that will only mean that you will get a chance to _audition_ for the Spring semester.  It does not guarantee you a place at NYADA.  Do you understand?”

Rachel nodded frantically, “Yes, Madame Tibideaux.  I understand. Thank you so much for taking the time to come today.”

Madame Tibideaux gave a small nod, then turned to Kurt.  She frowned, “Mr. Hummel, did you switch schools?”

Kurt nodded, “Yes, Madame Tibideaux.  I had some...issues at McKinley.”

Madame Tibideaux seemed to understand, “Well, that’s a shame.  What school are you with now?” She looked around at all of the boys in blazers.

“Dalton Academy, Madame.  We are the Warblers.” Kurt answered.  

“I see.  Well, Mr. Hummel, have you made a decision yet?  Will you be joining us this in the Fall, or are you going to keep entertaining the crowds in Walt Disney World?”

Sebastian smiled when she looked over toward him and winked.  Kurt snickered, “Well, performing at Walt Disney World won’t be happening, but I have not made a decision yet.  I was also accepted at Parsons with a full ride.”

She looked impressed, “I see.  Well, we’d both be lucky to have you, I’m sure.”  She looked around at everyone, “Good luck today, everyone.”  And at that, she and her colorful, flowy attire, seemed to drift off into the crowds. 

“Well, that was interesting.”  Kurt sighed. He went to Rachel, grabbed her shoulders, and spoke soft but firm, “Rachel, you’ve got this.  She’s intimidating, but she’s just a human. You know what you can do with those pipes of yours. Show her today.”

Rachel nodded and wrapped her arms around Kurt’s neck.

 

The Warblers went into the auditorium and watched several groups perform before they were called back to the green room.  Once they were back, the boys all put their phones into a basket provided by the event organizers.  

Sebastian went to Kurt and rubbed his arms as he spoke, “Are you ready, Babe?”

Kurt nodded, “You know, I think I am.”  

Sebastian hugged him, “You’re amazing.  I’m so excited to share a stage with you.”

Kurt pulled back and kissed him quickly, “You’re so sweet.  I love you.”

“Love you too, Baby.”

 

The Warblers took their place on stage.  In the audience, the Hummel’s and Smythe’s sat together, anxiously waiting to see their sons and brother knock people’s socks off.  The Motta’s and the New Directions all sat on the edge of their seats waiting for their friends to wow them.

 

The lights came up and the rhythm started.  You could tell by the few gasps heard in the crowd that people were surprised to see an a cappella group.  The sounds coming from them sounded so much like instruments. Their first song was [ Feel Good ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckuzu0SpJ2M&list=PLpZVz8RJH-a1BBdUOU04HSF5luZ4zNeE8&index=26&t=0s), by Jordan Smith, and featured all of the seniors.  The boys were dancing to the music, starting with just a small groove step.  

Nick began singing first as he danced forward,   “I got sun shining on my face, I got good vibes racing everyday,  I got skies on my demand, I got the whole world spinning in my hands…”

Jeff sang the next lines, dancing forward to be in front with Nick, “And it's like, Everyday is Christmas, Everyday's a dream, 'Cause heartbeat is breathing and loving is spread…”  Nick and Jeff separated to the sides.

Sebastian and Cameron lifted Kurt from his feet, and he did a front flip from his place on the risers to the front of the Warblers, landing just in time to start his lines.  As soon as he landed, the dancing increased, and the boys were in full performance mode. This was a fun song to perform, and you could see that in their energy levels. The crowd went _nuts_ , and nobody more that their parents and the New Directions.  They were on their feet cheering. Kurt winked and sang, “So everybody feel good, Everybody feel good, Everybody feel good, Everybody feel…”

Sebastian sang, dancing his way to the front, “Ain't no clouds, gonna make it rain, I'm in a no-splash zone when I'm on this train.”

Cameron was next to do the same, “Ain't no hill that I can't climb, I got everywhere to be, but I got time, I got time, yeah…”

Thad danced his way to the front, joining in with his lines, “Every night is New Year's, We're preaching in the streets, I'm feelin', believin' the music in me…”

All of the Warblers not doing instrumental vocals joined in singing, “So everybody feel good, Everybody feel good, Everybody feel good, Everybody feel good..”

Cameron and Thad sang the next lines as everyone echoed, “Come on, march with me, march with me, Can I get a Hallelujah? (Hallelujah),Come on, march with me, march with me, Can I get a Hallelujah? (Hallelujah), Come on, march with me, march with me, Can I get a Hallelujah? (Hallelujah), Come on, march with me, march with me, Can I get a Hallelujah?”

Jeff sang, “Everyday is Christmas, Everyday's a dream, 'Cause heartbeat is breathing and loving is spread…”

Kurt followed, “So everybody feel good, Everybody feel good, Everybody feel good, Everybody feel…”

All the seniors sang, “So everybody feel good (Come on, march with me, march with me) 

Can I get a Hallelujah? (Hallelujah), come on, march with me, march with me,Can I get a Hallelujah? (Hallelujah),Come on, march with me, march with me,Can I get a Hallelujah? (Hallelujah),Everybody fee, good.”

The crowd was going crazy, and no one more than the boy’s family.  Madame Tibideaux was smiling, shaking her head. In the audience, unbeknownst to the boys, Ben, Ty, Natalie, and another one of their theater friends were on their feet clapping.  Ben leaned over to the friend, “What did I tell ya?!”  

The next song, [ Who Do You Love, ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_CbClV_eTU&list=PLpZVz8RJH-a1BBdUOU04HSF5luZ4zNeE8&index=33) by Marianas Trench began.  The Warblers were standing in rows on the risers.  The spotlight hit Sebastian first as he sang lead. Nick and Jeff sang soft backup, and the rest of the boys sang along at the chorus, and they did dance moves once the beat picked up.  They used their feet and hands to accentuate the beat, and the crowd loved it. Sebastian gave it all her had.  He connected to the words on a very personal level.  He really had been deep in a sleeplessness, unable to get away form himself before moving back to Ohio.  He knew he needed to get back on his feet.  He really did miss himself and knew others did too.  He knew he was broken and struggled to get back on his feet to his real self.  The person he was in Paris was broken. It was _him_ that he needed to love.  When the song ended, the Warblers were all standing in formation on the risers again. They stood with their heads down as soon as the song ended.  

Kurt’s solo was next.  He sang [ Stand In The Light ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgXRzjlbbng&list=PLpZVz8RJH-a1BBdUOU04HSF5luZ4zNeE8&index=34), by Jordan Smith.  The Warblers all sang the first line, “Stand in the light and be seen as you are..”  and then created the music for Kurt to sing along to. Kurt slowly stepped out of the formation and walked toward the front of the stage as he sang.  While he sang, the large screen hanging behind the Warblers showed pictures and videos of a young Kurt and his father at a tea party, Burt showing Kurt how to ride a bike, singing into a hair brush,  and Kurt wearing a bow tie, and a few more pictures of his younger years. The words ‘love’ and ‘acceptance’ occasionally flashed in between images and video. He sang the first words to his father. “Didn't I tell you I hear what you say? Never look back as you're walking away.  Carry the music, the memories and keep them inside you. Laugh every day. Don't stop those tears from falling down.  This is who I am inside. This is who I am, I'm not going to hide,'Cause the greatest risk we'll ever take is by far, To stand in the light and be seen as we are, To stand in the light and be seen as we are…”

The next set of images were pictures of Kurt when he was between the ages of 12 and 15.  Some of the pictures were of him wearing some high fashion items that made him stand out from the crowd.  Some pictures were of the graffiti of derogatory words that were spray painted at the garage, or notes that had been taped to his locker. Those images gradually transformed into images of a 16 and 17 year old Kurt, with his Dad running for Congress, his New Directions Family, a picture of him in a McKinley football uniform on the shoulders of Finn and Puck, a picture of him and his girls at a sleepover, a picture of him winning Cheer Nationals for the first time.  The words ‘love’ and ‘acceptance’ still flashing every once in a while....He sang, “With courage and kindness hold onto your faith. You get what you give and it's never too late to reach for the branch and climb up leaving sadness behind you. Fight hard for love. We can never give enough. This is who I am inside. This is who I am, I'm not going to hide. 'Cause the greatest risk we'll ever take is by far. To stand in the light and be seen as we are. To stand in the light and be seen as we are.”

The next images were headlines like, ‘assault’ and ‘hate crime’, along with a few of Kurt with obvious injuries.  Those images only lasted for the next few lines then transitioned back to images of Kurt with his father, his friends, and Sebastian, “Riding the storms that come raging towards us we dive.  Holding our breath as we break through the surface, With arms open wide, With arms open wide...”

Words like ‘protect’, ‘love’, ‘acceptance’, and ‘tolerance’ continued to flash in between images and videos of winning Nationals a second time, the tweets from Adam Lambert, more of his ND family and the Warblers wearing PFLAG shirts, college acceptance letters, Burt in DC with his ‘Love is Love’ shirt on under his blazer in front of the Capitol building, and the Smythe’s.  Pictures of Kurt and Sebastian in Disney World flashed as he sang the final words of the song, “This is who I am inside. This is who I am, I'm not going to hide. 'Cause the greatest risk we'll ever take is by far, to stand in the light and be seen as we are. To stand in the light and be seen as we are. 'Cause the greatest risk we'll ever take is by far. To stand in the light and be seen as we are.  To stand in the light and be seen as we are. To stand in the light and be seen as we are.” The last image was of he and Sebastian holding hands, facing the castle in Disney World.

Kurt had made his way over to stage right as he sang.  As the screen faded to black, he stood for a few seconds and took in the applause of the audience who were on their feet.  Everyone in the audience who knew him, and even some who didn’t, were wiping tears away. Burt was so proud of him, that he thought he might burst.  Ben and his friends all looked at each other and gave knowing nods. Kurt took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused.  

The Warblers began their vocals for [ Found/Tonight ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aQykuIaJVI&list=PLpZVz8RJH-a1BBdUOU04HSF5luZ4zNeE8&index=2) by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt as Kurt was still in his spot from the previous song as he sang, “We may not yet have reached our glory.  But I will gladly join the fight. And when our children tell their story.  They'll tell the story of tonight. They'll tell the story of tonight. Tonight…”

Sebastian slowly stepped forward toward the front of the stage as he sang, “Have you ever felt like nobody was there? Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere?  Have you ever felt like you could disappear? Like you could fall, and no one would hear?”

Kurt looked over at him from where he stood, “Well, let that lonely feeling wash away.”

Sebastian, “All we see is light”

Kurt, “'Cause maybe there's a reason to believe you'll be okay”

Sebastian, “For forever”

Kurt, “'Cause when you don't feel strong enough to stand.  You can reach, reach out your hand. And oh…”

Sebastian turned to Kurt, “Raise a glass to freedom.  Something they can never take away. No matter what they tell you…”

Kurt, “Someone will coming running, To take you home.”

Sebastian, “Raise a glass to all of us.”

Kurt and Sebastian sang together, “Tomorrow there'll be more of us.”

Sebastian, “Telling the story of tonight”

Kurt, “Out of the shadows.  The morning is breaking (they'll tell the story of tonight).  And all is new. All is new. All is new.”

Together they sang as they slowly walked toward each other, “It's only a matter of time.  Even when the dark comes crashing through. When you need a friend to carry you. When you're broken on the ground. You will be found.  So let the sun come streaming in. 'Cause you'll reach up and you'll rise again. If you only look around. You will be found.”

Sebastian smiled a bit as he looked at Kurt singing, “And when our children tell their story…”

Kurt echoed, “You will be found…”

Sebastian, “They'll tell the story of tonight…”

Kurt, “Whoa…”

They turned toward the audience, and Sebastian sang, “No matter what they tell you…”

Kurt, “Tomorrow there'll be more of us..”

Together, along with soft backup from the Warblers, they sang, “Telling the story of tonight.  The story of tonight…”

When the song finished, they were standing next to each other with Sebastian slightly behind Kurt’s shoulder, facing the audience.  The crowd was on their feet. Madame Tibideaux was whistling. Ben and his friends were yelling and clapping, and New Directions were doing the same as they jumped up and down for their friends.  The boys families were whistling and yelling as they cheered. Carol and Tori were hugging, and wiped a few tears away. Leah glanced over and shook her head at the sight of them, but continued her cheers.  What Kurt and Sebastian didn’t know, was that on the side of the theater, about half way back, stood Eileen and Charlie. They clapped and cheered just as loudly, and Eileen let the tears flow.  

The Warblers took their bows and then headed off stage.  Kurt and Sebastian immediately embraced, “My God, Baby, you were so good!  I’m so proud of you!”

Kurt smiled, “Thank you, Bas.  You were fantastic! I think we have a shot at this!”

They made their way to the green room and everyone was high on endorphins.  Their cheers could be heard from the hallway while the boys all hugged and congratulated each other. Someone would have thought they had won.  But they were the first a cappella group to make to Nationals in years, and it was their best run through the songs that they had ever done. Even if they didn’t win, they considered that a huge success.  

Things were just settling down when a knock at the door was heard.  Before anyone could answer it, Eileen and Charlie came walking in. Sebastian and Kurt’s eyes widened.  They looked at the couple, then to each other, then back to the couple.  

“Oh my gosh!”  Kurt said, making his way to them through the crowd of Warblers.  

Sebastian made it to them first, “Eileen!  Charlie! What are you guys doing here?!” He hugged them quickly before Kurt did the same.

Eileen smiled, “We came to see you!  I told you we live in Jersey. We like making small trips into the city, and what better excuse than to see our two favorite singers!?  You told us enough that we were able to piece it all together.”

Kurt smiled, “That is so sweet!  How on Earth did you get back here to the green room?”

Sebastian smirked, “Chaaarlllieeee…..”

Charlie smirked back and shrugged. 

Eileen chuckled and said, “I told you...Charlie always gets his way.”

The boys chuckled, and Charlie said, “The key is to just act like you belong.  And now that we’re old, if someone says something to us, we just act like we can’t hear them.”  They all laughed.

Eileen put her hand on Kurt’s arm, “Seriously, Kurt.  That was beautiful.” She looked at Sebastian, “You too, Sebastian.  Absolutely beautiful.” 

“Thank you,” both boys said at the same time.  

Charlie handed the boys a business card that had their personal cell phone numbers on them.  He smiled, “If you’re ever in the city again, give us a call. We’ll take you out to dinner.”

Sebastian smiled, “Actually, we’re moving here mid-summer.  I’m going to Columbia this Fall, and Kurt will be going to either Parsons or NYADA.  He hasn’t decided yet, but has been accepted to both.”

Eileen and Charlie’s faces lit up, “Congratulations to you both!  Well, you give us a call any time. We’ll take you dinner, or you can even cross the river if you want a home cooked meal.  We’d love to have you.”

Kurt smiled, “That is so nice.  We’ll definitely give you a call once we’ve settled.”

Sebastian nodded, “And we’ll text both of you later so you have our cell numbers.”

Eileen smiled, “That would be fantastic!”

They said their goodbyes to Eileen and Charlie, with promises to call and text, as the Warblers were called to leave the room and head to lunch.  The boys all sat and enjoyed their boxed lunches. Mr. Schlotman came in congratulated them all, and then joined them in eating.  

After lunch, the Warblers were heading back toward the auditorium when they heard Ben call their names.  They turned and saw him smiling next to Ty. 

“Oh my gosh, you guys were fantastic!  So good!” Ben went in for some hugs.

“Thanks!”  Kurt said as he went to hug Ty.  

Ben looked behind him, trying to find Natalie and their other friend, “I think we lost Natalie and Jeremy.”

“I’ll go find them.  Be right back,” Ty said as he walked away.  

Sebastian turned to Thad, “We’ll be there in a little bit.  Go ahead and take everyone in.” Thad nodded and did just that.  

Ben was telling them what all he enjoyed about their performance when Ty returned with Natalie and Jeremy.  Kurt’s eyes widened and he whispered, “Oh my gosh…”  

Ben smiled and Natalie hugged them both.  She said, “I’m guessing that reaction wasn’t for me.”

Jeremy chuckled and held out his hand, “Hi.  I’m [ Jeremy Jordan ](http://www.playbill.com/person/jeremy-jordan-vault-0000045904).  It’s nice to meet you.”

The shocked look on Kurt’s face morphed into a smile, “Kurt Hummel.  It’s nice to meet you, too!”

Sebastian smiled and shook Jeremy’s hand, “Sebastian Smythe.  It’s a pleasure.”  

“So, yeah,”  Ben smiled, “when I said ‘friends in the theater’, I meant it.  Obviously, Jeremy has ventured to TV, but his love very much remains the theater.”

“Absolutely,”  Jeremy agreed. “And more specifically, writing music for theater.  When Ben began sharing your story, I was intrigued. But the more he shared, the more I started asking question...To which he didn’t have answers.”

“So basically, we started talking about how your story sounds like it could be a musical.  But there are so many things we don’t know. I mean, you’re obviously not going to share it all on social media.  So we’re hoping to have some gaps filled in, just to get an idea of where this can go. If we can get the ball rolling, once you guys move here, we can meet more often to clarify things.”

Jeremy added, “We would want your input throughout the entire process.  I wouldn’t want this to not do your story justice, or go where you wouldn’t want it to.  We would run any changes by you if we felt there needed to be any.”

Natalie asked, “Are you still up for meeting tonight?”

Sebastian nodded, “Yeah, we were counting on it.”  He looked at Ben, “I’ll text you the address. We can order takeout. We should be back by 7 or so.”

“Sounds great!”  Ben smiled.  

Everyone said their goodbyes and see you laters.  They congratulated the boys again before making their way out the door.  

Kurt looked at Sebastian with wide eyes.  Sebastian chuckled, “I know, Babe.”

“This just got real, Bas.  Like, really real.”

“Are you still okay with it?  We don’t have to do this.” Sebastian asked as he rubbed Kurt’s back.

Kurt nodded, “Yeah. I still think it’s a great idea.  I’m a little nervous about it, but I still want them to move forward with it.  But that was Jeremy freakin’ Jordan!”

Sebastian chuckled, “Okay.  Let’s head back before we make Mr. Schlotman nervous.”

Kurt smiled and took Seb’s hand as they walked back into the auditorium during the next break in performers.  

 

Four show choirs later,  it was New Directions turn on stage.  The families and the Warblers were anxiously awaiting their performance.  New Directions opened with [ Bleeding Love ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gJVzv7yt1M) by Leona Lewis, with Rachel on lead vocals.  New Directions danced behind her and sang during the chorus.  The Warblers stood and cheered before they moved on to the next song.

 

Next, Puck came out from behind the curtain on stage left.  He began singing [ You Are The Reason ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByfFurjQDb0&list=PLpZVz8RJH-a1BBdUOU04HSF5luZ4zNeE8&index=10), by Calum Scott (featuring Leona Lewis).  “There goes my heart beating, 'Cause you are the reason, I'm losing my sleep, Please come back now.”  Puck smiled a small smile when he saw Sugar come out from behind the curtain on stage right.

She sang, “There goes my mind racing, And you are the reason, That I'm still breathing, I'm hopeless now.”  She and Puck slowly walked toward each other. Kurt put his hand on his chest and bit his lip. He had tears in his eyes as he watched his two best friends sing so beautifully.  

Puck sang, “I'd climb every mountain, And swim every ocean…”

Sugar sang, “Just to be with you, And fix what I've broken…”

They sang together, “Oh, 'cause I need you to see…”

Puck, “That you are the reason..”

Sugar sang in return, “There goes my hand shaking, And you are the reason, My heart keeps bleeding, I need you now…”

Puck continued, “If I could turn back the clock, I'd make sure the light defeated the dark, I'd spend every hour of every day, Keeping you safe..”

Puck and Sugar sang together with the rest of the New Directions singing background, “And I'd climb every mountain, And swim every ocean, Just to be with you, And fix what I've broken, Oh, 'cause I need you to see, That you are the reason, oh, (I don't wanna fight no more), (I don't wanna hurt no more), (I don't wanna cry no more), (Come back, I need you to hold me closer now) You are the reason, oh ,(Just a little closer now) , (Come a little closer now), (I need you to hold me tonight)”

Puck sang, “I'd climb every mountain...”  He looked at Sugar with so much love.

Sugar gave a small smile, and sang to Puck, “And swim every ocean…”

Together they sang the ending lyrics to the song, “Just to be with you, And fix what I've broken, 'Cause I need you to see, That you are the reason…”

The Warblers, Hummel’s, Smythe’s, and Motta’s were all on their feet cheering.  Sebastian looked over at Kurt who had tears running down his cheeks. He leaned over and kissed his forehead.  Kurt whispered, “That was so beautiful.”  

“It was,”  Sebastian agreed.  

Next, the New Directions sang [ Walk Me Home ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1OsKJW51HY&list=PLpZVz8RJH-a1BBdUOU04HSF5luZ4zNeE8&index=20), by Pink.  Santana took the lead, while Brittany and Mike danced across the main stage.  Everyone else stood on the risers, dancing in their spots. Sebastian leaned over and whispered to Kurt, “Look how awesome our possible Prom dates are!”  It was a beautiful performance, and Santana totally rocked it.

Their final song was[ Dance With Me Tonight ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3EG4olrFjY) , by Olly Murs, with Sam singing lead.  He stood mostly in the middle, bopping to the music,  while the rest of the Glee Club did a swing dance number around him.  Every once in awhile, one of the girls would come dance a step or two with him and then move back to their partner.  Leah was in Heaven watching her boyfriend sing on stage.  
When their set was finished, the crowds stood and cheered.  The Warblers stood and cheered the loudest. Kurt took a minute to soak it all in.  His family on stage, being cheered for so happily by his newer family. He truly counted himself lucky.  

 

During the next intermission, the Warblers and the New Directions made sure to find each other.  Everyone embraced and congratulated each other on a job well done. Kurt went to Sugar first, “Oh my god, Sugar, you were so amazing!”

“You were too, Angel!  I cried!”  

“He cried watching _you_ , Sugar.”  Sebastian said as he hugged her.

“I’m just so proud of you both!  It was so beautiful!” Kurt let go of Puck, but not before kissing him on the cheek.  

“Thanks, Princess.  You guys were awesome.  I’m just glad it’s over.”  Sugar rolled her eyes at him.  

“Sweets!”  Jeff came hugged Sugar.  “You two were great!”

The compliments went on for at least 5-10 minutes while everyone made their rounds.  Finn made sure to find Kurt, “I’m so proud of you, little brother.”  

“That makes two of us!”  Burt said as he walked up behind them.  “I’m proud of all of you.”

All of the parents came and mingled with both clubs, giving words of praise all around.  When the lights flickered, everyone returned to watch the last few show choirs.  

 

After the final show choir had performed, and the judges took their time to deliberate, the MC took the stage to announce the final three.  He stated that the choirs would be listed on their website in order from top score, to lowest, and only the top three were to be announced on stage.  Announced choirs should make their way to the stage immediately.  

“In no particular order, the final three are…”  He paused dramatically, “The Danger Tones, from Wichita, Kansas!...” another dramatic pause, “Dressed To Trill, from Macon, Georgia!”  Kurt giggled at the name. The MC paused even longer before announcing the final of the top three, “... And the Dalton Academy Warblers, from Westerville, Ohio!”  

The Warblers all cheered and hugged as they jumped up out of their seats.  Their families and the New Directions were cheering just as loudly. The boys made their way to the stage, Kurt and Sebastian were hand in hand.  As Captain of the Warblers, Sebastian stood out front a bit. Kurt held hands with Jeff and Cameron. Nick was on the other side of Jeff, and Thad was on the other side of Cameron.  All seniors were purposefully out front.  

“Coming in third in the National Show Choir Competition… Dressed to Trill, from Macon, Georgia!”  Kurt closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “And so…Second place in the National Show Choir Competition…”  He spoke quickly, “The Danger Tones, from Wichita, Kansas, making our National Champions the Dalton Academy Warblers, from Westerville, Ohio!”  The boys jumped and cheered, “Ladies and Gentlemen, for the first time ever, an a cappella group has won the National Championship!!”

Time slowed down for Kurt.  Cameron squeezed his hand and then hugged him, lifting him into the air.  While in Cameron’s arms, he looked over and saw Sebastian accept the trophy that rivaled the Cheer Nationals trophy in size.  When Cameron put him down, Sebastian was returning to the group with the trophy, smiling a huge smile. Kurt went to him and hugged him.  Seb held tight with one arm. Thad relieved him of the trophy, and wrapped his newly freed arm around Kurt. He leaned down and whispered, “We did it, Baby!  You were so amazing!” As Kurt was listening to him, he looked out into the audience to see his family… every person he loved...on their feet, hands clapping high in the air, jumping and yelling for him.  It was surreal in a way. He felt so happy. So loved. He closed his eyes and let a tear fall. When the boys let go a little bit, time sped up once again, and they were engulfed in hugs from Nick, Jeff, Trent, Thad, Cameron, and then the rest of the Warblers.  

 

After celebrating their win with family and friends at Carnegie Hall, Kurt and Sebastian took a taxi back to the penthouse.  On the ride there, Sebastian texted Ben the address. He then turned to Kurt, “Baby, how are you feeling?”

Kurt turned to look at Sebastian, “Good!  I think our McKinley family was genuinely happy for us.  I worried about that. I know Rachel was upset, but she did a good job trying to hide it.  I think that was more about her chances of getting another audition.”

“Do you think she’ll get one?  She did a really nice job, and she does have an amazing voice.”  Sebastian took Kurt’s hand.

Kurt nodded, “I think she might.  I mean, she definitely has the voice, but tonight's song choice didn’t exactly show her range or her power.  She can really belt it out. Hopefully it all works out for her.”

When the boys arrived back at the penthouse, a taxi with Burt, Carol, Finn, and Sam pulled up right behind them.  When they got out, Finn looked up at the building, “Dude!” is all he said. Kurt smiled and shook his head.  

The boys introduced Finn and Sam to Raymond, “Raymond, this my step-brother, Finn Hudson, and my pseudo-brother, Sam Evans.”

Sebastian added, “Sam is also my sister Leah’ boyfriend.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”  Raymond said as he shook the boy’s hands.  

“You too, dude.”  Finn said. Raymond smiled wider when he saw Kurt shake his head and roll his eyes.  

Inside they introduced Finn and Sam to George before heading up to their new home.  When the doors opened, Finn and Sam’s eyes widened, and Sebastian couldn’t muffle his laugh when he heard Finn say “Dude!” again.  

They all chuckled when Carol said, “Finn Hudson, you have a bigger vocabulary besides ‘dude’.  Use it.”

“Sorry Mom.  This place is awesome!”

“It really is, guys.  It’s beautiful,” Sam smiled.

“Thanks,”  Sebastian smiled.  They gave them a quick tour, and changed into clothes they had left there the night before.

While they had the boys on the tour, the Smythe’s arrived.  Leah went to find the boys, and Robert and Tori joined Burt and Carol in the living room.  Everyone came back into the room and joined them a few minutes later. 

Finn said, “I’m going to look up the Show Choir Nationals site and see if they have the rankings up yet.”  He spent some time fumbling with his phone, clicking different links as he went. Finally, he made it to the correct site, “It’s up…”  Everyone was looking at him waiting to see what he’d say. “Dude!” he looked at Carol quickly, and lowered his voice, “Sorry Mom.” She just shook her head.  “We placed 5th!”

“That’s great!  5th in the country is big!  You guys did a great job.” Kurt smiled.  Everyone agreed.  

 

A few minutes later, the intercom buzzer sounded.  Sebastian went to answer it, and told George to go ahead and let their guests up.  A minute later, Ben, Natalie, and Jeremy walked in. Sebastian made the introductions.  

“Dude, you’re on tv!”  Finn exclaimed. He looked back at his mom, “Sorry Mom.”

Jeremy smiled, “I am.”

Sam smiled, “Will you be back for season 5 of Supergirl?”  He was a huge superhero fan, whether it was DC or Marvel, he didn’t care. 

“I will!  Not right away, though.”  

“Jeremy was also on Broadway.  I’m not sure you two were aware of that,”  Kurt teased.  

“You were?!”  Finn asked with his eyebrows to the sky.

Jeremy chuckled, “I was.  I’ve been in six productions, actually.”

“Which ones?”  Finn asked.  

Jeremy smiled, “Waitress, Newsies, Bonnie & Clyde, American Son,  Rock of Ages, West Side Story…”

Burt said, “And my favorite movie musical, because Kurt has forced me to watch them for years, Joyful Noise!”

Jeremy smiled, “Yes!  It’s one of my favorites too.”

Ben said, “So, Jeremy and I met a long time ago when we were both working on West Side Story.  It was my first Broadway show, and Jeremy was a big help. That’s also where we met Natalie.”

“And you want to write a musical about Kurt and Seb?”  Finn asked. He got serious, “It had better be nice.”

Kurt put his hand on Finn’s knee from where he was sitting on the floor, “It’s a love story, Finn.  It will be nice. They won’t be making fun of me or anything.” Finn nodded looked reluctant. He didn’t want Kurt to get hurt.  Sebastian smiled at that.

Natalie could sense that Finn was being protective of Kurt, so she said, “Both Kurt and Sebastian will have a say throughout the entire process.”

Sebastian interrupted, “Let’s order some food.  Then we’ll talk. I’m hungry.” Everyone agreed.  

While waiting on the food, Tori took some pictures of all the kids with Ben, Natalie, and Jeremy in front of the fireplace.  She thought it would be great to document the journey of this musical. No better place to start than the beginning. Sam and Finn said their goodbyes before heading back to go out with the New Directions, but only after swearing to Carol that they would be safe. 

Sam smiled, “I’ll take good care of him,” he winked.  

Carol gave a dry chuckle, knowing full well that that is how it would be, “Please do.”  She loved Finn to pieces, but the boy was just so excitable that he could lose focus.  

 

Once the food arrived, everyone ate in the kitchen and dining room.  They sat and discussed the performances. Ben, Natalie, and Jeremy didn’t realize that Sam and Finn had performed earlier too, so that was a topic of discussion.  They gave high praise to the Warblers, and especially Kurt’s song and video.  

“That was really brave, Kurt.  So beautiful.” Ben commented, and everyone agreed. 

 

Once everyone had finished eating, Kurt, Sebastian, Leah, Ben, Natalie, and Jeremy headed to the great room, while the parents hung out in the kitchen and dining room.

Jeremy took out a notebook.  “I hope you don’t mind if I take notes.  I’m a new Dad. My brain fries easily, so I don’t want to forget anything.”

Kurt shook his head, “No, that’s fine.  Congrats on becoming a dad, though. That’s exciting!”

“It’s amazing.  Exhausting, but amazing,”  Jeremy smiled. “So. If you don’t mind, I’d like to just get a general idea about you.  So if you could give me a fairly brief overview of who you were _before_ you met, that would be great.  Kurt, why don’t you go first.”

“Okay.  Well, I’ve lived in Lima, Ohio my whole life.  I’m an only child. My parents were both great, but my Mom died when I was 8 of cancer.  Dad owns an auto repair shop called Hummel Tire and Lube. He’s too stubborn to change the name, even though we do more now.” Sebastian chuckled at that.  

Ben asked, “And by ‘we’, what do you mean?”

Kurt said, “I work there, too.”  Sebastian and Leah smiled at what they knew was coming next.

Natalie asked, “Doing…”

Kurt answered, “I’m a mechanic.  Full time in the summer, part time during the school year.”

Jeremy looked at Ben, “This just keeps getting better and better.”  Sebastian chuckled.  

Kurt continued, “So Dad raised me on his own after Mom died.  I was raised in the garage and the bowling alley. At home, I basically took over my Mom’s responsibilities as a stay-at-home mom.  Cooking, cleaning, laundry. Anyway, the older I got, the harder it was to make and keep friends. I started getting picked on a lot.  My fashion sense was a bit different from the other kids,” he chuckled.  

Jeremy asked, “And Burt was fine with how you chose to dress?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  He didn’t understand it, but he accepted it.  So when high school started, I basically had zero friends.  Dad was so worried about me that at the beginning of my sophomore year, he said I had to join a club of some sort.  Glee club was posted for the first time by a new teacher, Mr. Schuester. So I auditioned and got in. There were only five members at first.  But then when Finn joined, other football players and cheerleaders joined too. Finn is the quarterback, and is top dog at McKinley.”

“Babe, I think you need to tell them about what else happened your freshman and sophomore years.”  Sebastian rubbed Kurt’s knuckles with his thumb.

Kurt nodded and looked down, “I was bullied.  A lot.”

“What kind of bullying?”  Ben asked.

Kurt answered, “I was given swirlies, had slushies thrown in my face, shoved into lockers, thrown in dumpsters, had pee balloons thrown at me once.  They even nailed our lawn furniture to our roof. As you saw in the video today, they spray painted the garage, and left notes taped to my locker. Sometimes notes were pushed into my locker, suggesting I kill myself.  They made phone calls to both the house and the garage. It was bad.” Leah had a tear running down her cheek. Kurt turned and looked at her. He reached over and wiped it away, then put a hand on her knee and gave a little squeeze.  

Ben leaned back on the couch and put his hands on his head.  Jeremy sighed and hung his head as he wrote. Natalie just sat stunned.

Sebastian sighed, “It gets a lot worse.  I’ve always said Kurt is the strongest man I know.  You’ll understand why when he’s finished.” He leaned over and kissed Kurt on the forehead.

Kurt continued, “I wasn’t out yet, but I was pretty obvious.  Between my voice, the way I walk, my clothes...Anyway, joining Glee sophomore year was huge.  We struggled at first, both with the music, and with the friendships. Eventually, we became super tight.  We’re family now. That alone, changed everything for me. I went from having no friends, to having super close friends.  I came out to my dad that year.”

Jeremy asked, “How did he react?”

Kurt smiled, “He said ‘I know.  I’ve known since you were three and asked for a pair of sensible red heels for your birthday.’”  He chuckled, as did everyone else.  

Ben asked, “Did the bullying get better after making your new friends?”

Kurt shook his head, “They didn’t know about most of it.  I didn’t tell anyone. They got slushied too, but nothing that left bruises.  I introduced Dad to Carol, who’s Finn’s mom, and they got serious fast. They moved in and Dad and Carol were married by the Fall of junior year.”  Kurt explained about Puck seeing the bruises and he and Finn taking care of all of it but Dave. He told them about what Dave did and why he went to Dalton for the remainder or his Junior year.  He told them, briefly, about Blaine and the dynamics of their relationship.  

Next he told them about meeting Sebastian, and how Sebastian has been saving him from the day they met.   Leah told them about how Sebastian was so excited when he came home.

“Then we went dancing.  That night changed me forever.”  He told them, briefly again, about the assault and attempted rape.  “So today when we were singing about being found when you’re broken on the ground...It was the truth for us.  Just like for Bas, there was a connection to the song Who Do You Love.  He was broken, and needed to love himself.  Then all of that was tied together with Found/Tonight.  We meant every word of that song too.”

Ben nodded, “I think the emotional connection you had with those songs today is one of the reasons you won.”  He looked at Sebastian, “So, if you don’t mind telling us, what did you see and feel when you found Kurt and Blaine?”

Sebastian took a deep breath.  Kurt put his hand on Seb’s knee and rubbed his thumb in soothing circles.  “I came outside and heard yelling. I looked in that direction and saw Kurt’s car was still there.  I ran over and saw Kurt on the ground, with Blaine on top of him. Kurt was nearly unrecognizable. He was so beat up.  His clothes were ripped open. Blaine had his hand down Kurt’s pants. As for how I felt…” Sebastian took another deep breath, “It was a mixture of things.  A deep sorrow for sure. I wanted to take away every bit of his pain. But I was quickly overtaken by rage. Here was this guy that was so perfect. I had such a huge crush on him.  And the guy who supposedly loved him, who was lucky enough to have him, was hurting him so badly. I grabbed him and yanked him off of Kurt. Punched him a couple of times. He fell back into a car, then to the ground.  I went to Kurt, told him I was there. Blaine had gotten back up and had his fist drawn back, but I was faster. I punched him with every ounce of anger I had. I knocked him out, and broke my hand. But when I was holding Kurt, I felt that sorrow and the desire to take away his pain and replace it with love...I told him I was never going to let go, and I meant that.”

Sebastian continued telling them about holding Kurt, calling their friends, going to the hospital.  Together they told them about the trial, Blaine’s outburst, and his sentencing. Kurt told them about David, and how now they have a restraining order.  Sebastian brought up the panic attacks, eating, the night terrors and PTSD.  

Sebastian looked at Kurt, “I know that’s not your favorite part, but it’s very important to the story, in my opinion.”

Natalie nodded, “It really is.  It shows how much trauma you’ve actually gone through, and how it’s affected you.”

The boys talked about Burt running for Congress, and trying to make a difference for the LGBTQ community.  They spent some time talking about their friends and those dynamics. Family was also brought up, and a discussion about how their parents support them was a big part of their story.  They told them about how they got together, dating, cheer, about how supportive all of their friends have been, then about Mack, Rick, and Shawn.  

Jeremy sat back and sighed, “Holy shit, Kurt.  Sebastian wasn’t lying when he said you were strong.”

Kurt said, “I suppose.  But I have a lot of support now.  I never would have been able to make it through any of that with any sanity left if it hadn’t been for them.  Especially Bas. He’s just as strong, if not stronger.” He looked at Sebastian with so much love, that everyone in the room could feel it.  

Jeremy looked to Sebastian, “So, we know the basics of Kurt’s story, your relationship, and your extended family…. But tell me about your life before Kurt.  He said you had a connection to the song you sang, too?”

Kurt looked at Sebastian and gave a small smile.  He rubbed his leg, knowing Sebastian was uncomfortable.  So, Seb said it like it was… “Yeah.  Well, we grew up in Ohio, but we traveled a lot.  We come from old money, and have a few homes, so we spent a lot of time there. The house in Ohio was where we settled mostly.  Dad is a states attorney for Ohio. My mom’s parents are from France and live both here and there. Mom and her sister were born here, but Aunt Charlotte lived in Paris during most of her adult life.  She was diagnosed with cancer the summer before I started high school. Dad couldn’t leave because of his job, but Leah and I moved to Paris with Mom to help take care of Charlotte. I was…” he looked down, trying to find the words.  Kurt squeezed his hand, then leaned over and kissed his cheek. Sebastian looked at him like he was his world, then caressed his cheek. He took a deep breath, “I was…” he looked back at Ben, Natalie, and Jeremy, “...Wild. The drinking age there is 18, so it made it pretty easy to get in places.  I didn’t go too crazy, but I would go out to clubs, bars, and parties. I drank, stayed out past curfew, and I was more promiscuous than I should have been. Although not as bad as some thought, given the way I would flirt. It was like I was searching for something in all the wrong places. Like I was looking for love where I knew damn well and good I wouldn’t be able to find it.  Only, for a long time, I don’t know if I knew it was love I was looking for.”

He took another moment to breathe and think, “I thought I had friends.  But I didn’t. I had people around me that like to party too. People who cared about my money.  But no one who really cared about _me_.  My new friends-family here showed me that.  No one in our family cares that I have money.  My friends at Dalton mostly have money themselves, so they don’t care.  Our McKinley family doesn’t care either. They care about how you treat someone, and nothing else.  Anyway, toward the end of my junior year, I was tired. I was tired of all of it. I did some deep reflecting.  Mom, Leah, Aunt Charlotte, my grandparents...they had all been trying to get me to see what I was doing to myself.  I didn’t know what I was looking for, I just knew I wasn’t going to find it doing what I was doing. So, I stopped.”

Leah said, “We felt like we lost him for a long time.  We knew who he was acting like, wasn’t the real him. Even when he stopped going out, he still seemed...lost.” 

Sebastian nodded, “Aunt Charlotte passed away about three months later.  We came home as soon as we could so that Leah and I could start the school year on time.  I got tested, made sure I was clean. I wanted to start fresh in all ways. I thought maybe what I was looking for, whatever it was, would just come to me if I was patient and true to myself.”  He looked at Kurt, “And it did. I didn’t even have to be that patient.” He looked back at Jeremy, “Everyone says I saved Kurt...in the coffee house, at the bar...But Kurt saved me the moment we met.”  Sebastian pulled Kurt into his lap and they held each other for a few moments.  

Leah wiped a tear away, “Kurt gave us back our Sebastian.  He came into our lives only a couple of weeks after moving back here.  And with Kurt, came his friends and family, who in turn, became _our_ friends and family.  Sebastian has real friends now.  He hasn’t drank in nearly a year.  He’s completely and utterly in love with and devoted to Kurt.  They’re endgame. It was obvious from day 1. And we couldn’t be happier...For them, or for ourselves. Seb even wrote a song about it.”

Everyone’s eyebrows rose.  Even the parents in the kitchen.  They had been quietly talking and listening every once in a while.  They had no idea.

“A song?  Can we hear it, and can I record it?”  Jeremy asked.

Sebastian looked at Kurt, who nodded.  He answered, “Sure. It was actually here that I sang it to him first.”  

Kurt got off his lap and they all walked over to the piano.  Sebastian played [ Running Home To You. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptkw2rPhAuM)  There were several people wiping tears away by the time the song finished.  

Tori turned to Carol and whispered, “We need to make sure that song is played at their wedding.”  Carol agreed, and their husbands just shook their heads and chuckled, but agreed as well.

By the time the evening was over, Ben, Natalie, and Jeremy had several long pages of notes, a decent understanding of their story, and maybe even some song ideas.  They thanked both families for their time and willingness to share their story.  

“I am going to make a basic outline, then get started on some details.  Between filming, the baby, and their jobs,” he motioned to Ben and Natalie, “It will be awhile.  Just to warn you, this could take years.”

“Well, we aren’t going anywhere.  We’ll be here in a few months. I think we’re planning on moving as soon as we get back from Paris.  Then with school, especially Bas’ med school, you can count on us being here for years. Whenever you need to talk about it or ask questions, just let us know.”  

They thanked them, and the boys exchanged phone numbers with Jeremy and Natalie.  

Ben said, “Make sure you call when you get settled.  My run with RENT is over soon, so I’ll be around. I won’t be taking anymore traveling shows.  Ty and I need to be together. So if you just want to hang out, let me know.”

The boys smiled, and Sebastian said, “We appreciate that.  Tell Ty we said thank you for coming to the show today. It’s a shame he couldn’t make it tonight.”

“Will do.  Thanks, guys.”  Hugs were exchanged, and they left with smiles on their faces.  

 

In the elevator on the way down, Jeremy turned to Ben, “I don’t even know what to say.  I mean… they are so in love, you can feel it radiate off of them. What they’ve been through...Unbelievable.  This could be big, Ben.  Really big, if we do it any justice.”

“I agree,”  Ben said. “They are… just amazing.”

 

Kurt took a minute to go out on the terrace.  He stood at the edge looking over at the city that they would soon call home, thinking about their story and everything they had told Ben, Natalie, and Jeremy.  Sebastian opened the door and walked up behind Kurt, wrapping his arms around his waist and kissing the side of his head. “Are you okay, Baby?”

Kurt put his arms over Sebastian’s, “Yeah, Bas.  I just wanted some fresh air.  Well, as fresh as it gets in New York,” he chuckled.  Kurt turned and kissed Sebastian on the cheek, “I love you so much.”

Sebastian smiled, “I love you, too.  More than anything.”

Inside, Leah was looking out at the boys from her spot on the couch.  She was so happy to have her brother back, to have gained Kurt, and see them so in love.  Tori came in and looked out at what Leah was looking at. She turned to look at Leah and smiled, “They are so lucky.  _We_ are so lucky.”

Leah looked out at them again and nodded, “You can say that again.”

 

……………..

 

After a quick phone call to Mr. Schlotman, the boys ended up spending the night at the penthouse.  They had Nick and Jeff bring their bags for them in the morning. The Warblers were given 5 hours to see the city before they had to report back to the hotel so they could return to the airport together.  

“Thanks for bringing our bags, guys,”  Kurt said with a smile.  

“Are you kidding?”  Jeff smiled. “Taking a half hour to come see this place, is not a problem.”  Jeff turned to Sebastian quick, “Where’s my bedroom?!”

They all laughed and gave the boys a quick tour.  

Before they left, Kurt said, “I hope the Warblers don’t think we abandoned them.”

Nick shook he head, “They don’t.  They all know what a packed schedule you guys had this weekend, and completely understand.  We’ll celebrate again at school later this week, I’m sure.”

 

After Nick and Jeff left, the boys took time shower and relax for a few minutes before Puck and the Motta family arrived.  When the buzzer sounded, Robert answered, and soon, the elevator doors were opening. Kurt immediately went to Sugar, then Puck, giving them huge hugs.  

Puck looked around with wide eyes and whispered, “You’ve got to be kidding me,” as he hugged Kurt.

Kurt chuckled, “Right?  But no. No joke. And this will be your home too, Noah.  Even after you guys get your place finished, you will _always_ be welcome here.”   Kurt could feel more than see, Puck take a deep breath.

Sebastian smiled, “Let’s show them around, Babe.”  

Tori and Robert, along with Burt and Carol, were out on the terrace drinking their second round of morning coffee.  Leah came over and greeted everyone, and then joined them on the tour. Vinny and Cindy hung back, but followed along on the tour so that they could see where their Sugar would be living for awhile.  

“This place is amazing!”  Sugar said as they went back into the living room.  

“Thanks.  You guys are welcome to stay for as long as you need.”  Sebastian said. “Let’s go out on the terrace. Our parents are out there.”  

They went out and everyone greeted each other.  Kurt showed Puck the hot tub, then they headed back inside to let the parents stay out and talk for a bit.  They all sat in the living room and talked.  

“How was everyone last night?  Everyone okay?” Kurt asked and then bit his lip.

“Princess…”  Puck knew Kurt was a little nervous that the Glee Club would be upset they didn’t win and somehow be upset with him. “Everyone is fine.  We got 5th place out of 50 freakin’ choirs! That’s pretty good for a group of misfits from Lima, Ohio. You don’t need to worry about any of us.  We are very happy with our placement, and _extremely_ happy for you guys.  I mean, the first ever a cappella group to win?!  That’s huge!”

Kurt smiled and got up, sat on Puck’s lap and kissed his cheek before hugging him.  Puck squeezed back.

Sebastian smiled, then turned to Sugar and whispered, “He just made my boyfriend very happy.”  She smiled and nodded.

Kurt returned to his seat next to Sebastian.  He turned to Sugar, “Have you seen your place yet, or will this be the first time?”

She smiled and bounced in her seat a little, “We drove by it yesterday, but it will be the first time going in today.  I’m so excited!” Puck smiled right along with her.

“You should be!  This is a huge moment in your life!  Thanks for letting us share in it.” Kurt smiled.  

 

Everyone took a couple of minivan taxis to Chelsea.  When they got out, Kurt took a couple of candid shots of Sugar and Puck in front of the building, hand in hand.  He had a feeling his favorite picture was going to be the one he took while standing behind them. They were looking at the building, and Puck was holding Sugar’s hand, while Vinny had his hand on Puck’s shoulder.  It made Kurt tear up just thinking about it. He couldn’t be happier for Puck. Not just because of the opportunity given to him, but because of the father he had gained. 

Sugar turned back to Kurt, “Put your thinking cap on, Angel!  Here we go!”

They opened the door to what would soon be the bakery.  It had room in the front for a half dozen or so tables and chairs.  The window on the left was for displays, and the window on the right had a bar with built in stools.  The display cases were old and not worth saving. Vinny said that was the first thing he wanted to see changed in the shop area.  There were cases behind the counters for the pastries to go. The cases and counters took up the left and back walls. The right wall was empty for the time being.  They toured the back room next.

“What was this place before?”  Tori asked.

Cindy answered, “It was a deli and sandwich shop.” 

Vinny added, “I already sold off a lot of the equipment they had back here.  I was thinking some new tables, and mixers could go over there, and maybe the new oven unit can go there.”

Kurt went back out front and was walking around in what Sebastian called his ‘thinking stance’.  His arms were crossed, he bit his lip, and you could see the wheels turning in his head as he slowly walked around.  

Sugar noticed he was gone, and went out front to find him.  She watched his mind work for a few minutes, then asked, “Got any ideas, Angel?”

Kurt gave her a look, “Sugar this place has sooo much potential.  I can totally see it all. I’m assuming you want your classic color scheme?”

She rolled her eyes lovingly, “Of course, Angel.  It wouldn’t be the Sugar Shack if it didn’t have pink.”

He smiled at her, “What other colors?”

She looked down at the old black and white floor, “I’m hoping we can salvage this floor, and go with black, white, and bright pink.  Subtle, of course. Well, as subtle as I go,” she winked.  

Kurt smiled, “Well, of course.”  He paused, “I like the layout they already have.  I think with some fresh paint, and some new display cases, it would be perfect.  You can change out the display window every season and holiday.”

“Yeah, that’s the plan.”  She turned, “I was thinking a water station with little cups over here.  And maybe even a little table for kids against the wall. The lower counter could have smaller glass domed trays of different heights.  I also want a display of fun birthday candles. Everyone knows it’s something people forget. But if I sell them here with the cupcakes and cakes, then all the better.”

“Good idea.”

Sebastian and Puck were watching as they leaned against the corners by the door to the kitchen, both knowing these two were in their element, probably totally unaware they were even there.  

Soon enough, their families came out of the kitchen.  They locked up the shop, then went to the door that lead up to the apartments.  Residents had to have a key, and guests would need to be buzzed in via the intercom. The mailboxes for each apartment were part of a large panel next to the front door.  Once in, each residence could access their mail from the other side. A small hallway lead back to the elevator and stairwell. There were two apartments on each floor, except for Sugar and Puck’s loft on the top floor.  

Vinny, Cindy, Sugar, and Puck went up first.  Everyone else gave them a few minutes to see the loft in private. 

Vinny opened the door and Sugar and Puck walked in first.  They walked in holding hands, silently looking around. Vinny and Cindy, having already seen it, stood in the living room area and waited.  When they came back in, Puck went straight to Vinny and gave him a hug.  

Vinny chuckled as he hugged Puck back, “Son, you deserve this just as much as Sugar.  I am so proud of you. I hope you’re both very happy here.”

Puck nodded but didn’t say anything.  He squeezed tighter before letting go and drying his eyes.  He wrapped his arms around Sugar and kissed the top of her head. 

A few minutes later, the rest of the gang arrived.  The boys and Leah walked through again with Puck and Sugar.  Kurt, Sugar, and Leah all gabbing on about design ideas. The parents all looked around in different areas, discussing the same things, only more about the basics and less about the flair.  When they all settled back into the living room, they shared their ideas.  

“Well,”  Sugar started, “the floors all need redone.”

Vinny nodded, “Yeah.  And the kitchen and bathrooms for sure.  Other than that, I think some paint and some fresh caulking around the windows, it should be good to go.”

The loft was open and airy with very high ceilings.  There were two bedrooms and an additional room that could be used as a bedroom if needed.  The master bedroom had a bathroom, and an additional bathroom was around the corner from the other two bedrooms.  All of the rooms were fairly large, with the exception of the two smaller bedrooms. Although for New York, they weren’t bad.

 

Everyone went to lunch together and enjoyed the rest of their afternoon in the city.  They ate a nice cafe in Chelsea. There was no shortage of conversation. They either discussed Nationals, the meeting the boys had with Ben, Natalie, and Jeremy, or plans for the bakery or loft.  Conversations could have gone on forever, but the Hummel’s and Smythe’s needed to get back and pack. The Motta’s and Puck were already packed, but had an earlier flight, so needed to get going as well.

Burt and Carol were taking an earlier flight back to DC for a few days, so that left Kurt and the Smythe’s at the penthouse for a few hours by themselves.

They sat around in the living room, lazily chatting and reading.  It had been a hectic weekend, so some downtime was nice for the boys.  

“So, Kurt, did you ever decide if there was anything you want to change here?”  Tori asked, referring to the design of the penthouse.

Kurt and Sebastian were snuggled on the couch.  He answered, “I love the decor here. It’s the perfect amount of natural elements with keeping an urban vibe.  The only thing I think we want to add is a shoe cabinet in the foyer, some more photos, and a coffee cart in our bedroom.”  He wiggled his eyebrows.

Tori laughed, “Why did I never think of that!?  You could make a cup of coffee and then sit out on the terrace and watch Central Park in the morning.”

“Exactly!”  Kurt said. Sebastian smiled and kissed the top of Kurt’s head.  

 

When Kurt and Sebastian boarded their plane with their family, the boys found they had two seats by themselves.  Sebastian was grateful, in case Kurt needed him as his Dom. They sat in first class again, and Kurt was grateful for that.  It really was more comfortable.  

Kurt covered himself with his weighted blanket, and Sebastian ordered their drinks when the flight attendant came around.  Kurt was feeling pretty calm, until they started moving. This part of the flight was like limbo in between the anticipation of what was to come, and the reality of it already being started.  He squeezed the arm rests and closed his eyes.

Sebastian turned in his seat as best he could.  He took Kurt’s hand and softly spoke using his Dom voice, “Baby, it’s okay.  We’re just moving toward the runway. Once we get to the runway, we’ll…” He continued to go over each thing that would happen right before it happened. 

His voice was soothing to Kurt, and more than the words being said, Kurt focused on his voice alone.  He purposefully took deep even breaths, and before they knew it, they were in the air.  

“Open your eyes, Baby.  It’s over.” 

Kurt opened his eyes and looked out the window.  He looked at Sebastian and took another deep breath. 

Sebastian smiled softly, “I’m so proud of you for doing so well with that.”

Kurt whispered, “Thank you, Sir.  It’s all because of you. You always make everything better.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thank you to CJ for suggesting Found/Tonight as a Nationals song.  
> Special thank you to CheshireSaxon for suggesting Who Do You Love as a Nationals song.  
> Special thank you to SheDevilGleek for supporting me through this chapter!


	54. Dalton Ball and McKinley Prom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reaction from the Warbler's Nationals win. Kurt makes a college decision. Dalton Ball and Nick's party. McKinley's Prom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another longer chapter. Sorry it took me over a week to get it finished. This story means a lot to me, and I wanted to make sure I was doing it justice. That, combined with a little writers block, made it difficult to write. Hopefully, you enjoy it!
> 
> NICE comments and Kudos welcome! One more chapter to go...Then it's on to the sequel!

 

The week after returning from Nationals was crazy for the Warblers.  They really were kind of like rock stars at school, but if anyone ever had any doubt, this week proved it.  Upon their return to school, they were greeted by a large banner that read, “Congratulations to the Dalton Academy Warblers!”, surrounded by balloons and streamers.  

On Monday, the school held a special celebration in the auditorium during class hours.  The Warblers performed the show from start to finish for the student body, who went absolutely insane, especially when Kurt did his flip at the beginning of the first song.  Kurt didn’t know what to make of it. The most he got at McKinley was polite-ish applause. Unbeknownst to the boys, Dalton had purchased a professional video that had been made and sold at the competition.  Mr. Schlotman had picked up the videos the following day from Carnegie Hall. He presented each Warbler with their own copy as part of the assembly.

As Mr. Schlotman presented the videos to the boys, Headmaster Larson announced, “We are so proud of our Dalton Academy Warblers.  For the first time in Dalton’s history, the Warblers made it to Nationals.” The students all cheered. “And for the first time in Nationals history, an a cappella group won the title.”  The students cheered even louder, and the awards ceremony part of the video was played for the students to watch.   

People were stopping the boys everywhere.   Every class had teachers commenting and congratulating them.  At lunch, their tables were approached practically non-stop. 

“Are you okay?”  Sebastian asked Kurt after the seventh guy had left their table.

“Yeah.  It’s just kind of tiring, ya know?  It’s nice, though. I doubt this would have happened at McKinley.”  Kurt leaned back in his chair.  

“It is tiring, for sure.  You need to eat, though, Babe.” 

“M’kay,”  Kurt said as he popped a couple grapes in his mouth.  

 

Headmaster Larson had the Warblers all meet under the ‘congratulations’ banner and had a few group pictures taken with the Nationals trophy.  Before the boys all departed to make their way to afternoon classes, he approached Kurt and Sebastian, “May I speak with the two you for a few minutes?”

“Yes, Sir.”  Sebastian answered, and Kurt nodded.

“Let’s head to my office.”

The boys followed Headmaster Larson to his office and took a seat across from him as he sat behind his desk.

“Well, first, gentlemen, congratulations again on the Nationals win.  That was fantastic. You have both brought so much to our school this year, your talents only being a small part of that.”

“Thank you, Headmaster Larson.  That’s very kind of you to say,”  Kurt smiled and blushed a little.

“Well, it’s true.  I am extremely proud of you both.  Kurt, I know you are not here for good reasons, but you have made the most of it, and have excelled.  Between your talent, your grade point average, and your winning personality, I think we'd be hard pressed to ask anything else of you during your time here.  I’m so proud of the way you have handled the transition.”

Sebastian smiled, and Kurt blushed again, “Thank you.”

Headmaster Larson looked at Sebastian, “Sebastian, you came to us last minute, with your return to the States.  I wish we had gotten to know you sooner. You’re a great leader, an incredibly talented musician and athlete, and you happen to be our Valedictorian, as of right now.”  

Sebastian’s eyebrows rose, “Wow.  Really?” Kurt beamed.

Headmaster Larson smiled and nodded, “Really.  You are an impressive young man. Not only because of the things I have mentioned, but also because of the love you have shown the young man sitting next to you.  You’d have to be blind not to see what you two have. The way you have supported Kurt through everything he has been through has been amazing to watch. We all wish none of it had happened, but it did.  And he was lucky to have you by his side.”

Kurt smiled and took Sebastian’s hand.  Sebastian stroked his knuckles as he replied, “Well, I appreciate you being so lenient with me missing school so that I was able to be there for Kurt.”

He smiled, “When you get perfect grades, that’s an exception I was willing to make.  Besides, it was for Kurt, and I kind of have a soft spot for him.” He smiled at Kurt, who smiled in return.  “So before I get down to business, and while I have you both here, for curiosity's sake, I’d like to know what your plans are for next year.”

Sebastian answered first, “Well, we’re moving to New York City together.  We already have a place there. I will be going to Columbia for pre med on a renewable scholarship.”

“Fantastic!  Kurt?”

“Weeelll, I haven’t quite decided.  I got scholarships to Parsons for fashion design and NYADA for performing arts, but I haven’t decided which one I want to accept.”

“Two scholarship choices? That’s great!  Either would both be lucky to have you.”

“Thank you.”

“So,”  Headmaster Larson continued, “the reason I have you both here is because Mrs. Scott and I have been inundated with phone calls today from news stations, both local and national.  They would like to interview the two of you.”

“Why the two of us, specifically?”  Kurt asked.  

“Well, because you were both the main leads for the Warblers, and I’m guessing it’s the theme of the songs.  You sent out a pretty powerful message, Kurt. Since Sebastian is Captain, he would be considered the spokesman, regardless.  Kurt, you don’t have to be interviewed if you don’t want. You could have Sebastian speak for you, or Sebastian, we can tell them that topic is off limits and only do the interview about being the first a cappella group to win.  If you want us to tell them no, we can do that, too. It’s up to you 100%.”

Sebastian asked, “Do we have time to think about it?”

“Some have said they would like to do the interview after school today.  I know NBC already has someone on their way, but that doesn’t mean squat.  I can turn anyone away as I see fit.” Both boys had made a face of surprise, but he continued, “I will give you both passes to return to class when you’re ready.  If you would like to head to the commons to talk about it, that would be fine.”

“Okay, thank you.”  Sebastian answered. “We will come back and let you know what we decide.”

“Very good.  I will give you the passes when you return.”  

 

The boys headed to the student commons and took a seat on one of the couches.  Sebastian took Kurt’s hand, “What do you think, Babe?”

Kurt took a moment to think about it, “Well, as nervous as it makes me, I think that with the way we presented ‘Stand In The Light’ on a National level, it would be hypocritical for me to say ‘now don’t talk to me about it’.”

Sebastian nodded, “I see your point, but it’s also our private life.  We don’t have to share any of it. Especially more than you already have.  If you decide to do the interview, you don’t have to answer any questions that make you uncomfortable.”

Kurt nodded, “I know, Love.  But, I think I want to do it.”

Sebastian leaned over and kissed Kurt on the forehead, “Okay.”

 

The boys went back to Headmaster Larson’s office and informed him that they would do any and all interviews.  They did tell him to let the news stations know that they would take questions about the theme of the songs, but that the main topic should be about the Warblers as a whole, and being the first a cappella group to win the National title.  The other boys deserved the recognition, as well. Headmaster Larson agreed.  

After school, the Warblers gathered in their rehearsal space.  Two of the local news stations arrived, a reporter from NBC, and a few reporters from The Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, and The Blade in Toledo.  Even The Huffington Post had sent someone to the school.  

Kurt was in awe at the poise and composure that Sebastian seemed to exude so effortlessly as he was interviewed.  He was well spoken and represented the group beautifully. Only the reporters from NBC and The Huffington Post asked questions that reached beyond the group being the first a cappella group to win Nationals, but they kept the questions very tasteful, and they boys had no difficulty answering them.  

After the interviews were over, Headmaster Larson congratulated the boys on a job well done.  The Warblers decided to head out to dinner at a local restaurant, rather than taking a chance on being interrupted so many times in the cafeteria.  They boys were all so tired from the weekend, and just wanted to eat in peace, then turn in early.  

 

Before Kurt and Sebastian went to bed, they FaceTimed Santana and Brittany, letting them know that they would be honored to be their dates to Prom.  

 

………………

 

Tuesday afternoon, Kurt was in his dorm working on Leah’s dress.  “I think I might actually be finished,” he muttered to himself.  

He called Leah to ask if he could come over for a final fitting.  She squealed, “Yes! I’m so excited!” He laughed at her enthusiasm.

He and Sebastian went over for dinner.  Everyone _loved_ the dress.  Especially Leah.  

Tori circled Leah, “I don’t know, Kurt.  I mean, this is stunning. Maybe fashion design _is_ your true calling.”

Kurt stood with his arms crossed, head tilted, and hip cocked as he looked Leah over.  He smiled, “Thank you. I do love it. Like, _really_ love it.”

Sebastian watched him work with a small smile on his face.  Kurt was so sexy standing there like that. He could see the creative juices flowing, and it dawned on him.  He knew what Kurt was meant to do. But would Kurt see it? Sebastian himself was surprised by the realization.  But then again, he had never really seen Kurt in action like this when it came to fashion design. He had only seen the final products, which, of course, were always amazing. 

By the time they were finished, Kurt decided he needed to make one small final adjustment.  He told them it would only take a few minutes, and even though it would be ready by the following day, one week ahead of schedule, they arranged a time for Thursday, so Kurt could still make his coffee date with the New Directions, and still make time for his school work.

 

On the ride home, Sebastian said, “I don’t know, Babe.  Leah is going to turn so many heads in that dress. Sam better be on his game when it comes to protecting her.  And he better be good, himself.”

Kurt smiled, “She’ll be fine.  And you know Sam will be on his best behavior.  It’ll be a great night.”

They were almost back to school when Kurt got a call from Sugar.  He answered and then said, “Slow down, Sugar. I can’t understand a word you’re saying.  Are you okay?” Sebastian glanced over at him, worried.

She took a deep breath, “Yes, Angel, I’m fine.  But I need your help. I was trying on my Prom dress, the one I already bought, and it ripped!  Please help me!”

“It’s okay, Sugar.  You know I can handle a fashion emergency.  We’ll fix it right up, I promise.” Sebastian visibly relaxed at Kurt’s words.

“Okay, you’ll help me?”  Sugar asked.  

Kurt rolled his eyes, “Of course I’ll help you.  You’re my best girl. Leah is coming over Thursday after school to get her dress and make sure it fits perfectly.  We just did what I thought was her final fitting, but I need to tweek a couple of things. Why don’t you pick her up and I’ll fix your dress really quickly.  No big deal. Plus, I can’t wait to see which dress you picked.”

“Thank you so much, Angel!!”  Sugar was so relieved. “I’ll call Leah.  Maybe we can go to dinner after?”

“That would be great.  I’ll see you then.”  

“Bye, Angel.”

 

When the boys got back to Dalton, they went straight to Kurt’s dorm room and got to work on Leah’s dress.  Sebastian sat on his bed, leaning his back against the wall, and watched for a few minutes.  

“Babe, I’ve noticed something tonight.”  

Kurt glanced up from his work for a second before turning back to it, “Oh yeah?  What’s that, Love?”

Sebastian smiled at the nickname, “You’re happy when you’re designing and sewing your creations.  I’ve never seen you work. I’ve only ever seen the finished products. Even when you are deep in thought, and maybe even getting a little frustrated...You get this… look.  Tonight when you were working, I saw the look in your eyes. You could see your creative juices flowing...It was like watching an artist work. I’ve always thought that the stage is where you belong, but now…”

 Kurt stopped and looked at Sebastian, “Now ...?”

“I think I might have been wrong.  I know you love the stage. I know you love performing.  But do you get the same happiness from it?”

Kurt took a deep breath and thought for a moment.  He finally answered, “No. I mean, I do love it. Being on stage feels like home to me.  _But_ , it’s very short lived.  I don’t love all the prep.  I like it sometimes, but don’t love it.  And then once it’s over… I don’t know.” He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, “I’ve been thinking about Broadway.  It’s been a dream of mine for years. But, I don’t think I ever thought about the logistics of it until we saw Ben in New York for the first time.  It’s the same show, night after night. Long, weird hours. I don’t know. I think about our songs for Nationals. If I had to practice and perform those songs every day for months, or even years on end, I think I would go insane.  It’s too much repetition.” He scrunched his face up at the thought.

Sebastian nodded, “And with fashion design?”

Kurt lit up and his eyes sparkled, “With fashion design, it’s always changing.  Fashion changes, your designs change. It’s challenging and colorful, and I use my sewing machine like an artist uses a paint brush.  I can make something simple, or complicated. I can translate feelings with…” He stopped and looked at Sebastian again, who was smiling ear to ear.  A smile grew on his face, as well. “Did I just make a decision?!”

Sebastian chuckled, “I think maybe you did.”  

Kurt smiled even bigger, but then it faded a bit, “But I love singing.  It feels weird giving up a dream like that.”

Sebastian sat up and grabbed his hand, “You don’t have to give up singing at all, Babe.  You can audition for roles while you go to Parsons if you want. But it would be harder to learn what you need for fashion design while attending NYADA.  I think fashion brings you more of a long term happiness. You said performing brings you joy for that short time you’re on stage. NYADA is going to be like taking four years of prep work, just to get roles and do more prep work that leads to the repetition.  Is that what you want?”

Kurt shook his head, “No.  Definitely not. And I can’t imagine not creating clothes.  It relaxes me and excites me all at the same time.”

Sebastian nodded, “And you don’t have to be on Broadway to sing.  You could start a band or something too. You have a lot of choices, Babe.  Soooo ...Parsons?”

Kurt smiled, then leaned over and kissed Sebastian, “Parsons,” he nodded.  “Thank you for helping me work through it, Bas. It looks like you’re going to be the best dressed doctor in New York!”

Sebastian smiled, “Like you’d let me be anything else, whether you went to Parsons or not.”

Kurt chuckled, “That’s true.”

 

……………..

 

Wednesday after school, Kurt headed to Lima Bean.  When he walked in and headed to the counter, Shannon smiled, “I think I might start calling you Mr. Nationals.”

Kurt laughed, “Oh Shannon, please don’t.”  He smiled.

Shannon smiled back, “Okay.  But seriously, congratulations.  You and Sebastian were amazing. I miss seeing him.  Tell him ‘hi’ from me.”

Kurt said, “Well, thank you. And I’ll tell him.  We’ll be sure to stop in more once soccer is over.”

Kurt got his coffee and headed over to his friends.  He was greeted warmly, with lots of congratulations for the Nationals win.

“We saw you on the news the other night.  You guys did a nice job with the interview,”  Mike smiled. “And your twitter was off the charts.”

Kurt grinned, “Thanks.  I was a little nervous about it, but Bas handled it like a pro.”

“What are you going to do when your famous?  You’re going to have to get used to interviews, Kurt.”  Rachel said. Kurt couldn’t tell if there was a little jealousy in her tone or not.  

He shook his head, “I don’t really want to be famous.”

“Broadway stars get interviewed too, Kurt.  Not as much as tv and movie stars, but they do get interviewed.”  Rachel was very serious.

“I’m sure they do.  I may end up auditioning for something eventually, but I decided that I’m going to Parsons in the Fall.”  Everyone smiled, especially Puck and Sugar. “I don’t think the theater life is for me. After talking with Ben, Natalie, and Jeremy… I just don’t think it’s what I want.  And I don’t think I’d ever want to give up designing.”

Rachel frowned, “What are you talking about?  Who are those people? Why would you throw away your chance at Broadway!?  You got in to NYADA, Kurt! And you won Nationals! You’re just going to throw it all away!?”

Finn frowned, “Rachel!”

Santana rolled her eyes, “Just because it’s your dream, doesn’t mean it’s his dream, Rachel.”

She shook her head, “But it is!  We talked about it!”

Kurt sighed, “We did talk about it. But I’ve thought about it.  A lot. Ben, Natalie, and Jeremy are some new friends of ours who are, or have been, on Broadway or Broadway series that travel.  They love it, but it does come with a price that I don’t think I’m willing to pay. And I don’t think I want the repetition that they go through.  I need change, and the fashion world is always changing.”

“How did you meet these people?”  She frowned.

Kurt looked at Finn.  Finn just made a face and shrugged her shoulders.  Kurt couldn’t believe Finn had kept quiet for so long.  Finn had been doing really well keeping quiet lately. Kurt looked back to Rachel, “Ben is Ben Sanders.  We met him when Bas took me to Cincinnati to see _RENT_.  He plays Angel. Natalie and Jeremy are a couple of his theater friends that we’re getting to know.  They’ve also been on Broadway, so I’ve been able to learn a lot from them about what it’s like.”

Sam knew he was only giving the basic information, and wasn’t wanting to give more.  He tried changing the subject back to college, and said, “I’m sure everyone will understand why you chose Parsons once they see Leah’s dress.  She’s totally in love with it. I can’t wait to see it.”

Kurt smiled gratefully at him, “You’ll love it.  Maybe even too much.” He gave Same a pointed look, “You have to promise to be good, Sam.  And you’re going to need to keep an extra eye on her. I’m not so sure Bas likes the dress after seeing her in it.  She looks _really_ good.”

Sam’s eyes glazed over.  Kurt cleared his throat, and everyone chuckled.  

Sam snapped out of it, “Of course I’ll be good!  And I won’t let her out of my sight.” He turned to Santana and gave her a look.  

“What!?  Her brother is my date.  I wouldn’t hit on my date’s sister.”  Santana rolled her eyes and stuck her nose in the air.  Sam rolled his eyes in return and shook his head. 

“Just remember, Tana.  Your girlfriend is _my_ date.  So play nice.” 

 

………………

 

On Thursday after school, Sugar and Leah met Kurt at the soccer field.  When the girls made their way into the stands, Kurt was leaning back with his elbows on the bleacher behind him, and his legs stretched out, crossed at the ankles.  

Sugar leaned over and whispered to Leah, “Look how sexy he is.  And he has no idea.”

Leah nodded, “He really is a hottie.  Bas really lucked out with him. He’s got it all.”

They continued up to Kurt, who hugged them both.  “Let me see your dress, Sugar!”

Sugar smiled, “I want you to see it on me the first time you see it.”

“Oh, okay.  Well then do you want to go now, or watch for a bit?”

“Let’s go now.  I’m hungry,” Leah said.  “Is Seb going to eat with us?

“No, he’s got a paper to work on.  I thought we could ask Jeff though.”

“Jeffie!  Yes!” Sugar bounced. 

Kurt giggled and shook his head, “Alright, I’ll text him.”

 

The three of them made their way into the student commons, where they sat and waited on Jeff.  Once he arrived, Kurt went to his dorm to get Leah’s dress. Girls were not allowed in the dorm area, and Kurt didn’t want to leave them alone in the commons, since they were already getting looks from guys who were passing by.  

Kurt came back with Leah’s dress.  He walked her to the women's restroom that was by the auditorium and handed her the garment bag.  She came out a couple of minutes later with a huge smile on her face. She slowly turned in a circle.  

Kurt smiled, “What do you think?”

Leah smiled as she walked the few steps to Kurt and wrapped her arms around him.  “I don’t even know what to say to make you realize how amazing you are.” She didn’t let go of her embrace as she continued, “I love it so much, Kurt.  Thank you _so_ much.”

Kurt gave her an extra squeeze, “You are so welcome.  You make the perfect model. You would gorgeous in rags.”  Kurt backed out of their hug but kept a protective arm around her as a couple of guys walked by and checked her out.  He shook his head, “Keep moving, boys.”

Kurt and Leah walked back to the student commons, where Sugar and Jeff were sitting close together giggling.  When Kurt cleared his throat, they both looked up. Their eyes widened.

“Oh.  My. God.”  Jeff stood slowly and made his way to Leah.  She turned in a circle. “Damn. If I even had an ounce of heterosexual tendencies, I would steal you away from Sam in a heartbeat.”  They all laughed.

Leah smiled.  “Thanks, Jeffie.  Isn’t Kurt’s design amazing?”

“It _really_ is.”  Sugar smiled.  “Angel, I’m so glad you chose Parsons.  The world needs your fashion designs. You look fantastic, Leah!”

Jeff and Leah looked at Kurt with raised eyebrows and smiles.  He chuckled, “Yeah. I chose Parsons!”

Kurt could hear the sounds of soccer team coming down the hallway.  It was a sound he was very familiar with by now. “Here comes your brother.  Hopefully showered, so he doesn’t stink up this dress.”

Leah giggled and walked over toward the hall.  A couple of the guys froze in their tracks seeing her.  Sebastian ran right into the back of Lucas.  

“What the hell, Lucas?!”  Sebastian exclaimed. Lucas didn’t say anything, he just pointed.  Sebastian looked up, seeing his sister. He smiled for a split second, then frowned as he hit Lucas in the back of the head, “That’s my sister!”

“And she’s hot,”  Lucas mumbled. He looked up, realizing that he said it out loud.  He widened his eyes at the look Seb was giving him. He ran to hide behind Thad, and the guys all laughed.  

Kurt made his way to where Leah was and looked at Sebastian.  “I hope you showered if you plan on touching her. Don’t you stink up this dress.”  He winked at Sebastian.

Seb smiled, “I showered and smell fantastic.”  He walked up to Leah and hugged her. “You look amazing.  And your dress is stunning.”

“That’s because it’s a Kurt Hummel original.”  She turned in a circle.

Justin raised his eyebrows, “You made that, Kurt?”

Kurt nodded, “I did.”

“Wow.”  All the guys were impressed.

Sebastian had had enough of them staring at his sister.  “Alright, move along boys. She’s taken, and she’s my sister.  Quit staring.” Leah, Sugar, and Kurt giggled when they heard a couple guys mention Sam and his muscles as they made their way back to the dorms.  Sebastian shook his head, “You look gorgeous, sis,” he kissed her on the cheek. Kurt smiled as Seb wrapped his arm around his shoulder and kissed his temple.

“Are you going to try your dress on for us, Sugar?”  Kurt asked.

“Sure!  But ignore the rip.”  She and Leah walked back down the restroom to change.  

Leah helped Sugar zip the back of her dress, “Sugar, you look gorgeous!  This is the perfect color for you. I didn’t see anything like this. Where did you find it?”

She had chosen a blush colored dress that had a layer of sheer fabric on top that faded from blush to deep pink as it went down the dress.  The top was adorned with an intricate beading design in the deep pink on top of the blush fabric. Sugar smiled, “New York. Mom and I snuck out for a couple hours and went shopping.  I saw it in a magazine, and looked up where to find it. Think Angel will like it?”

Leah nodded, “He’ll love it!”

The girls walked back down to the student commons.  When Sugar came around the corner, Kurt gasped and stood right away.  He walked over to her, “Sugar! This is gorgeous! You look amazing!”

“You really do, Sugar.”  Sebastian smiled.

“Stunning, Sweets.  Absolutely stunning.  Puck isn’t going to know what to do with himself,”  Jeff smiled.

Sugar beamed, “Thanks!  We found it in New York.”

“No wonder I didn’t see it when we went shopping.”  Kurt walked around to the back. “We’ll give you some soft curls and sweep your hair off your face.”

“Whatever you want, Angel.  I want the full Kurt Hummel experience.”

Sebastian smiled and chuckled to himself.  Kurt looked at him and lovingly rolled his eyes.  He knew Seb was thinking that only _he_ got the real Kurt Hummel experience.

 

After saying goodbye to Sebastian,  Kurt took just a few minutes to fix Sugar’s dress, and the four friends went out to dinner.  It was warm enough for them to take Sugar’s car and put the top down. Kurt sat with Sugar in the front, and Jeff and Leah sat in the back.  He looked around at his friends. Here he was, riding in this pink 55 Chevy convertible, in small town Ohio, laughing and having a great time with his family.  He thought about everything they had been through together. It was like time froze for a minute, zeroing in on the joy they all felt being together, and Kurt knew that this was a memory that would he keep forever.

 

……………….

 

Saturday came quickly, and Kurt was excited for the Dalton Ball.  Quinn picked up Kurt and they went to the Smythe’s early that day, planning on getting ready there.  Kurt did Quinn’s makeup and hair while Leah kept them company. Once Quinn was dressed and ready, she headed downstairs while Kurt changed in Leah’s room.  Leah helped him make sure everything was perfect before he went downstairs to meet Sebastian.  

“You know, one day, I’ll be helping you on your wedding day,”  Leah smiled.  

Kurt chuckled, “One day…”

 

When Kurt entered the living room, Sebastian had his back to him as he stood looking out the back window at the gardens.  Robert, Tori, Leah, and Quinn were all standing by the kitchen island, but didn’t say a word. Robert was smirking and the ladies looked like fangirls getting ready to meet their favorite artist.  They were glancing back and forth between the two, with their hands clasped at the chests and hearts in their eyes.

Sebastian seemed to sense that Kurt was there, and slowly turned around.  Kurt smiled softly at him as he took in the gorgeousness of his boyfriend.  He couldn’t believe he was real. How did he get so lucky? Sebastian had the same thoughts.  Kurt took his breath away.

Sebastian walked toward Kurt slowly, “Baby, you look amazing.”  He reached for Kurt’s hands, which Kurt gladly offered.

“You do too, Love.  You look gorgeous.”

Sebastian bent down and kissed Kurt softly on the lips.  

 

Tori took several pictures of the boys together.  Some in front of the fireplace, and some out in the gardens.  

“Mom, I think we have enough pictures.”  Sebastian teased.  

“Burt is in DC, and Carol is working.  I promised I would take lots of pictures!”  

 

A little while later, their friends all arrived.  Thad, Chris, Nick, Jeff, and Cameron all arrived together.  When Cameron saw Quinn, he actually blushed. “Quinn, you look beautiful.”  

She smiled shyly, “Thank you.  You look very handsome.”

Tori continued her role as photographer for at least another 30 minutes. 

“Okay, Mom.  Seriously. We have dinner reservations, and the limo company texted that they are here already.”  Sebastian smiled.  

“Okay, okay.”  Tori sighed. “You guys all look so good.  You’ll remember this night forever.”

 

They all piled into the limo and headed to a fancy French restaurant for dinner.  As they sat and talked, Quinn giggled. Kurt raised an eyebrow, “What’s so funny?”

She smiled and quietly said, “I’m just imagining what we look like the rest of the patrons here.  I’m the only girl. Here I am with seven handsome guys. I know you are all couples, but to the outsider, I either appear to be very lucky, or very slutty.  I’m not sure which.” They all laughed.

Jeff smiled, “I say ‘very lucky’, for sure.”

Kurt, Sebastian, Thad, and Nick all spoke French, so they helped everyone else read the menu and order.  Kurt and Sebastian quietly flirted with each other in French while they waited for their food.

Nick smiled, “You know, you aren’t the only ones who speak French.  You can’t hide all of that flirting from all of us.”

Jeff giggled, “They aren’t hiding anything.  I don’t speak French, but I totally knew they were flirting.”  Chris, Cameron, and Quinn agreed.

 

When they arrived back at Dalton, they were impressed with the way the school had decorated the ballroom.  

“I can’t believe Dalton has a ballroom.”  Quinn said to Cameron as they made their way inside.

“It does.  High tuition gets us a lot of extra perks.”  Cameron smiled as he offered her his arm.

Kurt leaned over to Sebastian and whispered, “Like not getting beat up.”

Sebastian put his arm around Kurt’s waist and squeezed.  He leaned over and kissed his temple as they walked in.  

“Wow.  It’s even fancier on the inside,” Chris said as he looked around the grande school.

As they entered the ballroom, the boys were greeted by everyone as they walked past.  There were lots of pats on the shoulders, high fives, and fist bumps.  

Quinn was surprised. She leaned over to Cameron again, “Is it always like this?”  
Cam smiled, “Well, the Warblers have always been high men on the totem pole, and treated as such.  But after the Nationals win, it’s been kicked up a notch. Especially for those two,” he nodded to Sebastian and Kurt, who were holding hands and making their way through the crowd.  “They are the stars. Everybody loves them even more now.”

Quinn raised an eyebrow, “Everybody?”

Cameron shrugged, “I’m sure we have our own homophobic assholes mixed in here somewhere.  The difference with our assholes, is that they are rich, ‘high society’ assholes. They really don’t want the fact that they are assholes to be well known among their class of people, so they keep their mouths shut.  Otherwise, it could cause some issues with their families. It’s all very hush hush. Honestly though, I don’t think there are that many here.”

“Well, next weekend, be prepared for something completely different.  The only people who would greet Kurt like that are the New Directions and some of the Cheerios.  And even then, I guess it wouldn’t really be quite like this.”  

Cameron frowned, “Do you think he’ll be safe at Prom?  Because I swear, I’ll kick ass if someone messes with him.”

Quinn smiled, “Everyone has agreed to leave them both alone.”  She paused, “He really means a lot to you doesn’t he?”

Cameron nodded, “Yeah.  We’ve become good friends.  And then after seeing him have a night terror, I’ve become extra protective of him.  I can’t imagine what he went through, and I can’t imagine how Seb feels about being protective of him, if this is how I feel, and we’re just friends.”

Quinn leaned up and kissed Cam on the cheek, “I’m so glad he has you.”

Cameron smiled, “And because I have him, I also have you.”

“Yes, you do,” she whispered.  She and Cameron were getting along great.  They went out at least once every weekend, and were becoming closer and closer.  They had both been accepted to Yale, and were hopeful that their budding romance was going to last.

 

As the songs played, the group of friends all danced with their dates, as well as each other.  When the third slow song came on again, Kurt asked Chris to dance.

Chris smiled, “It would be my pleasure.”

As they danced, Kurt asked, “Are you doing okay, Chris?  I’ve been worried about you.” 

Chris nodded and spoke softly, “Yeah, I think we’ve both come to terms with it.  I accepted the scholarship at NYU. Thad will be at Princeton next year. We’re just going to try our best to enjoy our time together.”

Kurt said, “We’re going to Paris for a few weeks this summer, then we’re headed to New York for good.  When you get there, if you need anything, please let us know, okay?”

Chris smiled, “I appreciate that more than you know.  I’ll have to be there for part of the summer too for Cheer camp.  Maybe we can get together then.”

“I’d like that.  Are you and Thad going to your Prom at Urbana?”

Chris shook his head, “No.  I don’t really have many friends there, and I don’t want to push it, ya know?  So this is my Prom.”

Kurt nodded, “I understand.”

Nick and Jeff danced their way next to Kurt and Chris, “May we cut in?”

They laughed and accepted.  Jeff danced with Kurt while Nick danced with Chris.  Sebastian was still dancing with Thad.

Jeff pulled Kurt close, “I love you, Kurtsie. I’m so happy you’re here with us.  I’m happy you’re healthy, and alive, and smiling, and happy, and here at Dalton.”

Kurt smiled but had tears in his eyes, “I love you, too, Jeffie. So much.  I’m so glad to have a friend like you. And thanks for sticking with me, even when you-know-who tried to keep you away.”  Kurt refused to use Blaine’s name on such a nice night.

“Of course, Kurtsie.”  He kissed Kurt on the cheek.

When the song was over, Sebastian made his way back to Kurt.  Smiling, he said, “I leave you for one song, and Jeff has to put his lips on you.”

Kurt chuckled, “You know Jeffie.”

“Yeah, good thing it was only Jeffie,”  Sebastian whispered in his ear, then put a possessive hand on the small of Kurt’s back and pulled him even closer.  

“You know you’re my one and only, Sir.”  Kurt said seductively as he slowly ran his free hand up and down Sebastian’s arm.  His other hand was being held tightly against Sebastian’s chest as they danced.  

Sebastian closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  Feeling Kurt in his arms, smelling his unique scent, “I know, Baby.  I love you so much.” He turned slightly and kissed Kurt above his ear.  It wasn’t long ago that he was afraid this would never happen...That Kurt wouldn’t wake up, and his dream of holding Kurt forever would be over.  He was so grateful for every minute with Kurt. Especially ones as special as this.

Kurt closed his eyes, “I love you, too.”  He couldn’t believe how happy he was. He felt so lucky to be here surrounded by people he loved, and who loved him in return, as he was held in the arms of his Love.

 

Everyone danced the night away, and at the end of the evening, they headed back to the Smythe’s.  They all changed their clothes, grabbed their own packed bags, and each couple got in their own car to head to Nick’s house for an “After Prom Party”.

Once there, Nick’s brother, Steven, greeted everyone.  He had set up a makeshift bar on the kitchen island. The house had its own bar, but this way, Nick and Seven’s parents, who were out of town, wouldn’t have any missing alcohol.  Steven had bought what they needed and promised to stay sober and keep an eye on things. Everyone was spending the night, and all car keys had to be turned in to Steven upon entering the house, i.e. mansion.  Soon, most of the Warblers and their dates, along with some of Nick and Jeff’s other friends, all started arriving.  

 

“What can I get you two to drink?”  Jeff asked as they walked into the kitchen.

Steven added, “I make a mean Long Island Iced Tea.”

“Nothing for me, thanks.  I’m staying sober for awhile”  Sebastian didn’t really want to start up any bad habits that he once had when it came to alcohol.  Kurt looked back to Sebastian with a soft smile. Seb wrapped his arms around Kurt’s shoulders from behind and kissed his head.

He whispered to Kurt, “I’ll make sure you don’t go too crazy, Babe.  Have whatever you want.”

Kurt kissed the arm that rested just below his chin, “I’ll try your ‘mean’ Long Island Iced Tea.”  He winked at Steven who chuckled.  

 

Kurt was two drinks in, and feeling pretty tipsy.  He had a feeling Steven was making the drinks pretty strong.  He hadn’t been drunk since the whole Bambi incident, but he knew it took more than two drinks to make him feel this way.

“Let’s play a game!”  Nick announced. “Everyone who wants to play come sit in a circle.”

Kurt pulled Sebastian over to the circle.  Seb said, “If this is spin the bottle, we’re out.  Nobody gets to kiss you but me.”

Kurt giggled, “Okay, Love.”

Several of them sat in a circle, and Steven brought out a large tray full of drinks that he passed out to everyone who didn’t already have one. 

“Okay!”  Nick announced, “We’re playing Never Have I Ever, because it’s like, a right of passage for high school, or something,”  he had a few drinks in him already. “Rules are that if you’ve done what the person says they’ve never done, then you take a drink. I’ll start.”  He thought for a minute. “Never have I ever… been to Paris.” He looked at Sebastian and smirked.

Seb rolled his eyes and took a drink.

Sebastian said, “Never have I ever… kissed a girl.”  Several people around the circle, including Kurt and Quinn, took a drink.  Everyone’s eyes widened, including Sebastian’s. “Babe...Do you understand the rules?”

Kurt blushed slightly.  “Mmhmm.”  

“And you’ve kissed a girl?!”  Jeff asked with huge, surprised eyes.

“Mmhmm,”  Kurt nodded.

“Who?”  Sebastian asked, smiling and frowning simultaneously.

Kurt smiled a little, “My Prom date next weekend…”  Sebastian was speechless as everyone snickered.

“Wait!  Quinn, you took a drink too...You’ve kissed a girl?!”  Cameron asked with a smirk on his lips. She nodded. “Who?”

“Kurt’s Prom date next weekend.”  She giggled. Everyone was cracking up, including Kurt and Sebastian.  

“Okay, when you’re sober, you’re telling me all about it,”  Sebastian smiled at Kurt. He was shocked.

Kurt said, “Never have I ever… had sex with a girl.”  Most of the straight guys… and Quinn… took a drink.

“Oh my god!  It’s always the prim and proper ones!”  Kurt laughed.  

Cameron looked around, “Is it bad that I’m totally turned on right now?  Was it Kurt’s Prom date again?” He looked at Quinn.

She shrugged a little and giggled, “And Seb’s.”  Kurt and Sebastian were laughing hysterically. Everyone else was giggling but shocked.  

“At the same time, or separately?”  Cameron asked.  

“Same time.”  Quinn bit her lip.  “We didn’t mean for it to happen.  They were already a couple, we had a few drinks, and we just… _did_...I don’t know.”  Kurt had a feeling she was already pretty drunk, since she was so willing to share.  

“That’s okay, Quinn.  You’re allowed to experiment.  Brittany and Santana can be very persuasive, I’m sure.” Jeff said with a wink.  

Quinn smiled and said, “You have no idea.  Okay...Never have I ever… gone skinny dipping.”  Sebastian took a drink, along with a couple of others.  

Justin said, “Never have I ever… had a one night stand.”  Sebastian and Justin’s date took a drink again.

Sebastian said, “Never have I ever… gone to public school.”  Kurt, Quinn, and Chris all took a drink.

Chris said, “Never have I ever… Had sex in the shower.”  Kurt, Sebastian, Jeff, and Nick all took a drink.

Jeff said, “Never have I ever… rebuilt an engine of a car.”  Kurt glared at him, then took a drink. A couple of the boys who didn’t know him as well were surprised.  They had no idea he could do that. Cars _and_ dresses?  Impressive.

Kurt said, “Never have I ever… been out of the country.”  Sebastian, Thad, Justin, Lucas, and Cameron all took a drink, as well as a few of the boy’s dates.  He did, after all, attend a wealthy school.  

Lucas said, “Never have I ever… had sex with a guy.”  All the gay guys in the group rolled their eyes and took a drink, as well as some of the girls.  

“You don’t know what you’re missing out on.”  Sebastian smiled. Lucas just shook his head with a smile.  

Nick said, “Never have I ever… had sex in a public place.”  Sebastian took a drink. 

Kurt looked at Sebastian, “Does the car count?”

“Yes, Baby.  We were in a parking lot.”

“Oh.”  Kurt took a drink and everyone giggled.   Sebastian picked up Kurt’s cup and checked how much of his drink was left.  

He leaned over and whispered, “No more for awhile once this cup is empty.”

“Yes, Si-”  Kurt was cut off by a kiss from Sebastian.  The last thing they needed was for Kurt to call Sebastian ‘Sir’ in front of everyone.  Although, they could probably chalk it up to Kurt being drunk. When Sebastian pulled back from the kiss, he looked Kurt in the eye, trying to silently tell him not to call him that in front of everyone.  

Kurt looked back with a slight droop in his eyes.  He smiled, “I have to pee.”

Sebastian snickered, “Okay, Babe.”

Kurt went to get up, but fell over a bit.  Sebastian grabbed his arm, steadying him. Kurt tried again, and made it to his feet, but stumbled again.  Sebastian got up, wrapping his arm around Kurt’s waist to help him keep his balance, “Come on, Babe.” He walked him to the restroom, and waited for him in the hallway.  

When Kurt was out, he immediately wrapped his arms around Sebastian’s neck and kissed him.  He pulled back, “I love you, Sir. So much.”

Sebastian spoke quietly, “I love you, too, Baby.  But you can’t call me ‘Sir’ here, okay? Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sss...Sebastian.”  

“Try to stick to ‘Bas’, Babe,”  Sebastian chuckled. “Let’s get you some water.”

 

 When they went back into the great room, the game was over, and they had moved on to Truth Or Dare.  Kurt and Sebastian opted to sit on the couch and watch instead of participating. Kurt sat on Sebastian’s lap and snuggled in close, as Seb rubbed his back.  Kurt couldn’t help himself and began kissing Seb’s neck.  

“Mmm, Baby...I… nnnhhh…. Think you should probably stop.”  Sebastian struggled to say it. “I’ve been so turned on by y-you...mmm…. all night.  I don’t think I’ll be able to stop myself if you k-keep going.”

“Quit making out and join us for Truth Or Dare!”  Jeff yelled.

“No!  We’re busy!”  Kurt yelled back.  He sat up and straddled Sebastian’s lap as he giggled.

Sebastian smiled as he grabbed Kurt’s hips. 

“Kuuuurrrrtttsssiiieee….”  Jeff whined. “Come play with me!”

“Sorry, Jeffie, he’s busy playing with _me!_ ”  Sebastian smiled as he leaned up and kissed Kurt.  He wrapped one hand around the back of Kurt’s neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss.  

“Mmm, more porn!”  Jeff plopped down on the edge of the couch and watched.  

The boys broke apart and rested their foreheads together, then turned to face Jeff.  Jeff smiled as he wiggled his eyebrows, “Don’t stop on my account. I could sit here and watch you two all night.”

Sebastian chuckled, “You have a major voyeurism fetish.”

Jeff gasped in mock offense, “Then stop making out in front of me all the time!”

Kurt rolled his eyes, “You’ve seen us ‘making out’ a couple of times.  I’ve seen you and Nick fucking. Granted, I didn’t mean to...” Kurt scrunched up his face and Sebastian thought it was adorable.  

“Whatever,” Jeff waved his hand dismissively, “You know we’re hot as fuck.  Come drink with me!” He pulled Kurt’s arm and Kurt halfway willingly went along with it.  

Sebastian watched as Jeff and Kurt went into the kitchen holding hands.

Quinn plopped down next to Sebastian, “I’m so glad he has you.”

Sebastian turned to Quinn, “Me too.  Because that means I have him, too.”

 

A little while later, Sebastian went into the kitchen to find Kurt.  When he went in, he saw Kurt leaning up against Chris, and they were both laughing at something Jeff said. 

When Kurt saw Sebastian his eyes widened as he gasped and he hit Chris with the back of his hand.  He pointed to Seb and whispered, “Look, Chris… There’s the man of my dreams.”

Chris laughed, “Lucky for you, you aren’t dreaming, and he’s actually yours.”

Kurt looked surprised and looked at Chris again, “I’m not?  So I can really kiss him?”

Chris laughed even more, “I’m betting you can do a hell of a lot more than kiss him.”

At that, Kurt looked like he had just won a prize.  Sebastian was making his way toward Kurt, talking to people as he went.  As he got past the last group, Kurt walked up to him, kissed him deeply, then jumped up and wrapped his legs around Seb’s waist.  Chris was chuckling, as was Thad, who had just walked up from the other direction. Sebastian didn’t hesitate, catching Kurt the second his legs were around him.  

“Hi, Baby,”  Sebastian whispered with a smile.

“Hi.  Are you really mine?  I’m awake and your mine?  I get to keep you?” Kurt had Sebastian’s face in his hands.

Seb chuckled, “Forever, Baby.”

 

………………

 

The next morning, Sebastian woke up in one of the guest bedrooms.  He and Kurt were snuggled in bed, while Thad and Chris were on the floor to right, Cameron and Quinn to the left, and Bentley was laying across the bottom of the bed.  Sebastian didn’t even recall seeing Bentley at the party, but apparently he had shown up at some point, and snuck into their room. In fact, when they went to bed, they were alone in the room.  He smiled and shook his head.

Sebastian quietly climbed out of bed and made his way to the kitchen in search of water and painkillers.  He had only had the small drink during the Never Have I Ever game, but he knew Kurt would be hurting this morning, no matter how much water he tried to make him drink the night before.

When he entered the kitchen, Steven was sitting at the island, eating scrambled eggs and toast.  “Good morning, Sebastian.”

“Morning.  Got any pain killers?”

“Hungover?”  Steven chuckled as he got up and got the bottle of medicine for Sebastian.

“Nah, I only had the one.  But Kurt will be. I want to have them ready for when he wakes up.”

Steven smiled, “You really love him.”

Sebastian nodded, “Of course I do.  What’s not to love?”

Steven shrugged and shook his head, “Nothing.  I think he’s great. I’m straight, but if I were gay… He’s kinda hot.”

Sebastian laughed, “If you were gay, you wouldn’t be using the word ‘kinda’ before the word ‘hot’.”

 

Sebastian took the medicine and a bottle of water and put in on the nightstand next to him.  He made sure to get out of a couple of pills before he got back into the room, so that the noise of the bottle didn’t bother Kurt’s headache that he was sure to have. He climbed back into bed and laid there looking at Kurt before drifting back to sleep.  

About an hour later, Sebastian woke up to Kurt moaning.  When he looked over, Kurt had his head in his hands and his eyes squeezed shut.

Sebastian whispered, “Good morning, Babe.”  He sat up and got the pills and water. “Sit up.  Take some Advil and drink this water. As much as you can, please.”

Kurt frowned as he groaned, “Okay.  You don’t have to yell at me.”

Sebastian chuckled, “I’m whispering, Baby.  You’re just hung over. Now drink.”

Kurt took the medicine and drank the water without issue.  He laid back down and drifted off to sleep again.  

By late morning, everyone was waking up and Kurt felt much better.  Once the cleaning crew that Nick had hired showed up, everyone started making their way home.  

 

When Seb and Kurt made it back to the Smythe’s, Leah asked, “How was the Ball?”

Kurt chuckled, “I can’t not think of Cinderella anytime someone says that.  I was great! We had a great time. Lots of dancing with friends, and Nick’s party was fun.”

“Well, you two looked so handsome,”  Tori smiled. “I loaded the pictures onto a disc for you.”

“Oooh, thanks!”  Kurt smiled. “I’m hoping to print out our favorite one and frame it for New York.”

“Well you’ll have lots to choose from,”  Sebastian teased. “I’m going to throw our laundry in so it’s done in time for us to head back to school.”

“Thanks, Bas.”  Kurt smiled.  

Tori showed Kurt he pictures she had taken and they discussed their favorites.

“You could be a photographer, Tori.  These are really good.”

“Thanks, hun.  I have a good camera.”  She smiled.

“Yeah, but it takes more than a good camera to be a good photographer.  It’s obvious that you know a thing or two about composition too.”

The two talked and looked at the pictures until dinner time.  Robert had grilled out, and they had a nice dinner outside on the covered patio.  

Sebastian looked at the pool, “You know, we’re going to have to take advantage of the private pool as much as we can before we move.  It’s so peaceful out here.”

Kurt nodded and smirked, “We’ll have to come here for vacations.” Robert and Tori chuckled.

Sebastian shook his head, “No.  We’ll go on real vacations. But we’ll come back when we can.”

“And we’ll come visit you, too.” Leah smiled, “You can’t get rid of us that easily.”

Kurt wrapped his arm around her shoulders, “We would never want to get rid of you.”  Leah didn’t say anything back. She simply rested her head on Kurt’s shoulder.  

Sebastian smiled, and looked at his parents, who were also smiling at the actions.  It was so nice that Kurt fit right in.  

 

……………..

 

The rest of the week flew by.  There was lots of studying, papers, and regular homework, and, for Sebastian, soccer.  Before the boys knew it, it was time for William McKinley’s Prom.  

The Smythe’s ended up hosting a large “Pre Prom Party”, as Sebastian called it.  They had a total of six couples who all hung out, while any parents who wanted to come did the same.  It was a nice way for the parents to get together, and they could all take pictures together before the kids left.

They grilled out on the back patio, and Burt fell in love with the outdoor grill/kitchen, just like Kurt knew he would.  Sam’s parents surprised him by getting a babysitter and making the trip up to see him, as well as meet Leah and her parents.  Everyone got along great. As they sat around talking, the kids all made plans for a pool party when it got closer to graduation.  They talked about summer plans, and expectations for the following school year, whether that was college, or high school.  

The parents who came all got along really well.  The dads ended up talking about investments for a long time.  Burt had been smarter with his money since he became a Congressman. He was never hurting for money with the success of his garage, but they decided to start making some investments since retirement wasn’t as far off as it seemed. The ladies all sat talking about life in general, and made some plans of their own to stay in touch even after the kids were off to college.  

 

Kurt took the girls up to Leah’s room in time to do their hair and makeup.  He mainly focused on Leah and Sugar, and the other girls helped each other, with Kurt helping only when he was needed.   When it was time for the girls to get dressed, he left the room to get himself ready.  

When Kurt made it downstairs, he was smiling from ear to ear.  His boyfriend, his brothers, and his best guy friends, were all standing there looking incredibly handsome in their tuxedos.  

“Wow, boys.  You all look amazing!”  Kurt leaned up to kiss Sebastian, “Especially you, Love.”

Sebastian smiled, “You too, Babe.  As gorgeous as ever.”

“Thank you,”  Kurt winked. He turned to the other guys, “Boys, your ladies look beautiful.  I can’t wait for you to see them.”

 

Brittany, Santana, Rachel and Quinn came down first. Their dates all smiled and greeted them with words of how lovely they looked. 

“Hey, Hot Stuff.  You don’t look too bad yourself,”  Santana winked. Sebastian chuckled and shook his head.

Puck and Sam waited patiently.  Leah was the first to come down.  She looked stunning in her dress, and by the look on Sam’s face, he agreed.  Kurt looked over at Sam. His eyes were wide and mouth hung open slightly. Kurt elbowed Sebastian and motioned to Sam.  Seb shook his head and smiled. Tori snapped a picture of his reaction.  

“Leah… Oh my God, you look… incredible,”  Sam said, as he floated back down to Earth from wherever he had gone.  Heaven maybe? His parents stood back and watched with huge smiles on their faces.

She smiled, “Thank you, Sam.  You look so handsome.” Kurt was beaming.  Leah looked so good, and he was really proud of his design.  Everyone complimented him on it, as well.  

Puck went over and waited for Sugar at the bottom of the steps.  When she first appeared, he was speechless. He watched her walk down, and when she finally reached him, all he could say was, “Sugar….”  The look on his face, and in his eyes, was all she needed.  

She smiled sweetly and put a hand on his cheek, “Thanks, Honey.”  He offered her his arm, and they walked in to be greeted by everyone else.  

 

The parents all had nothing but kind words and compliments for all of the kids.  Just like the week before, they took pictures in front of the fireplace and in the gardens.  All of the parents took individual shots, as well as smaller groups like just girls, just boys, or siblings.

 

Santana brought out some photo props that she had printed out and attached to small dowel rods.  Some were silly things like mustaches, or crowns, but Kurt and Sebastians favorites are the ones that Tana had made just for her and Britt, and Kurt and Sebastian.  

First, she instructed Kurt and Brittany pose like a normal couple for the first picture.  Then they were to act like they were going to kiss. Of course, Seb, Cam, and Quinn thought that was extra funny.  So, Kurt dipped Brittany and they both puckered up , inches away from each other like they were going to kiss, and Tori took the picture.  Then they held up a speech bubble prop that said “Just kidding!” and they posed like they were laughing, which they were, and Tori took a third picture.  Santana and Sebastian repeated the process. For the final pictures, Kurt and Sebastian, then Santana and Brittany, kissed in the photo, holding a speech bubble sign in front of them that read, “That’s more like it!”

 

After final group picture, the kids all piled into the stretched limo that the Smythe’s had gotten the kids as a surprise.  They made their way to the school, and when the limo stopped outside, Sebastian stopped everyone before them got out. “I know I don’t need to say anything, but it will make me feel better if I do… Please keep an eye Kurt tonight.  I know everyone said they would behave, but still…”

“We’ll be fine, Love.”  Kurt said softly. He leaned over and kissed Sebastian quickly, knowing that was likely the only kiss he would be getting until they got home.  It wouldn’t be like the Ball from the previous weekend. Other than a possible dance together, if they could manage it, they were not going to have any PDA, taking no chances.  Everyone agreed that neither of them would be left alone.

 

As they walked in the building, each boy had their date on their arm.  Sebastian told Santana that he wanted to walk behind Kurt and Brittany so that he could see people’s reactions, and gauge how welcome they really were.  Santana agreed.  

They entered the gym, greeted by Coach Sylvester at the door.  “Porcelain. You look great. It’s nice to see you back, even if it’s only for one night.”  She actually had a smile on her face.

“Thanks, Coach.”  Kurt smiled.

When Sebastian and Santana went through, Coach stopped them, “Sebastian.”

He nodded, “Coach.”

“You let me know if there are any problems.  I’d love to ruin someone’s night.”

He smirked, “You got it, Coach.”

Sam and Leah approached next.  Coach’s eyes widened a bit, “Hold on tight, Mr. Evans.”

“Oh, I plan to,”  he smiled.

When Puck and Sugar approached, Coach smiled.  “Don’t you two look nice.”

Puck raised an eyebrow, “Did you just compliment me?”

She shrugged, “Take it while you can get it.”

Puck smiled, “Oh, I plan on savoring this moment.  It will go down in my top high school memories for sure.”  Coach just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

When Quinn came in with Cameron, Coach said, “Did you snag yourself a private school boy too?”

Quinn smiled, “I suppose I did.  Kurt fixed us up. We’re just one of several couples, actually.  Maybe you should call him Cupid now, instead of Porcelain. This is my boyfriend, Cameron, by the way.  He’s also Kurt’s roommate. Cameron, this is our cheer coach, Sue Sylvester.”

“Nice to meet you,”  Cameron said as he held out his hand, politely.

Coach just nodded at him.  She looked at Quinn, “He’ll always be Porcelain to me.  _My_ Porcelain.”  She turned to Cameron, “Is everyone treating Porcelain well at your fancy-ass school?”

Cameron raised his eyebrows at the fact that a teacher just cussed in front of students.  He pulled himself together quickly, “Yes, ma’am. Everyone loves Kurt.”

“You should have seen the way people greeted Kurt and Seb at the Ball last weekend, Coach.  It was like how people greet Finn after winning a game.”

Coach raised her brows in surprise, “Good for Porcelain.  He deserves better than the assholes around here can give him.”

Cameron and Quinn both agreed.  Once they were in the gym, Cameron turned to Quinn, “Is she always like that?”

Quinn snickered, “Yeah.  She has _no_ filter, and a major soft spot for Kurt.”

“Well, I guess that’s a good thing.”

 

On their way to the dance floor, _if_ Kurt was greeted, it was always friendly.  When Clay and Avery saw him, they greeted him with a hug.  Avery hugged Sebastian and Clay smiled, giving Seb a warm handshake.  Kurt was so glad they were still together. They were adorable.  

Mike and Tina came in for hugs, as did Mercedes, Artie, Joe, and Rorie.  The girls gushed to Kurt about Leah’s dress, and congratulated him again on a choice well made with Parsons.

 

Everyone danced together during fast songs, and couples danced together during slow songs.   
“Seb was right about everyone staring.  It’s unnerving,” Sam said quietly in Leah’s ear.  

“Just stick close to me, okay Sam?  Last time someone approached me here, it didn’t end well.”  Leah tightened her grip on Sam’s shoulders.

Sam pulled back a bit to look her in the eye, “I won’t let anything happen to you, Leah.  I promise. I’m sorry I didn’t think about what being here might do to you. Are you okay?”

She nodded, “Yeah, I’m fine.  I’m so happy to be here with you, Sam.  Please don’t take the other comment the wrong way.  It’s just, that will always be in the back of my mind.  Just like it will for Kurt and Sugar.”  Sam nodded and kissed her on the forehead.  

Kurt and Sebastian ended up dancing with all of the girls.  Kurt snuck a picture or two when Sebastian danced with Leah.  They were all happy when everyone outside of their group was smart enough not to ask her to dance.  

 

Kurt gathered all of the Glee Club, Clay, Avery, and Jack and his date. Each couple danced together, but did so basically guarding them from all sides, so that Kurt and Sebastian, as well as Santana and Brittany, could slow dance together at least once.  While they were dancing, Kurt said, “Four years ago, I would have never thought this was possible.”

“Dancing with your boyfriend at Prom?”  Sebastian held on tight.

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  And also, being surrounded and protected by so many friends and family.  It’s amazing, really.”

Sebastian smiled, “It is.  We’re both very lucky. And one day, we’ll be dancing like this in tuxedos, surrounded by these same lovely people, for an even happier reason.”

Kurt’s smile grew, “God, I love you, Bas.  You have no idea.”

“I believe I do,”  Sebastian kissed Kurt on the forehead.  

 

Once the song was over, another slow song came on, and they continued to dance.  Puck came up and tapped Seb on the shoulder, “May I cut in?”

Sebastian smiled, then he looked at Sugar, “It would be my pleasure.” 

They traded partners and continued to dance.  “Noah Puckerman, I swear if I were straight…”

Puck chuckled, “Yeah, she looks amazing, doesn’t she?”

Kurt nodded, “She really does.  You do too.  It’s a good thing you aren’t gay.  You could give Bas a run for his money.”

Puck chuckled again, “No I couldn’t, and you know it.”

Kurt shrugged, “Okay, maybe not.  But before he came along, you would have been all mine.”

“Yeah, I’ll give you that one.”  Puck paused, “You know, Princess… Things didn’t go so great this year in a lot of ways.  But in a lot of ways, they did. I’m grateful for you… For your friendship, for you saving my girl.  I love you, Princess.”

Kurt smiled with tears in his eyes, “I love you, too, Noah.  I’m grateful for you too, ya know.  You’ve always been there for me, in so many ways.  I can always count on you. You mean the world to me, Noah Puckerman.”

Finn came up and tapped Puck on the shoulder, “May I cut in?”  Kurt smiled and Puck rolled his eyes.

“No.  Wait your turn.” Puck looked back at Kurt and winked.  Kurt just chuckled and shook his head.  

“Hey!  I was trying to be polite.  Move over,” Finn said as he squeezed his way in between Kurt and Puck.  

“Come on, Puck.  Dance with me,” Rachel said.  He turned and grabbed her hand as he glared back at Finn. 

Finn looked down at Kurt as he grabbed his hand and put his other on Kurt’s back, “I won!”

Kurt laughed, “Yes, you did.”  

Sebastian and Sugar were trying not to laugh too loudly.  Sebastian took a picture quick, just as he had done with Kurt was dancing with Puck.  He and Sugar took a quick selfie together, as well. He knew they would cherish those pictures forever.

 

Finn and Kurt were still dancing when Azimio approached.  Finn saw him first, and grabbed Kurt by the arm, pulling him behind him.  Kurt didn’t know what was going on. Sebastian grabbed Kurt, pulling him back further and stepped slightly in front of him, while holding his hand.  He turned to Sugar, “Step back.” She went back to stand with Rachel, while Puck quickly went to stand next to Finn. When Sam saw what was going on, he had Leah stay with Santana and Brittany as he joined the boys.

“Geez, boys,”  Azimio started, “paranoid much?”

“You’ve made it quite clear in the past that we need to be,”  Puck said with a lot of venom in his tone.  

Azimio nodded, “Yeah, I get that.  Look, I just wanted to tell Kurt that I’m glad he was able to come tonight.”  He looked at Kurt, “I know we were shitty to you. Sorry.” He didn’t wait for a response.  He simply turned and walked away.  

Everyone turned to Kurt.  Sebastian whispered, “Are you okay?”

Kurt nodded, “Yeah.  I wasn’t expecting _that._  That’s for sure.”  He paused, “I have to use the restroom, but…”

“We’ll go with you, Princess.”  Puck nodded to the door. Finn, Puck, and Sebastian walked Kurt to the restroom down the hall.  Sam stayed with Leah, Sugar, and Rachel. 

Once they got there, Puck went in and made sure it was empty.  Kurt went in to do his business while the others waited in the hallway.  Two of the guys from the hockey team came around the corner from the gym and started to walk past the boys to go into the restroom.  

Finn and Puck stepped in front of them.  “You’ll have to wait a minute, guys,” Puck said.

“What?  Why?”

Finn answered, “Kurt’s in there.  No one will be going in until he’s out.” 

One of the guys mumbled something not so nice under his breath.  Finn frowned, “What was that?”

Sebastian stepped closer to the door of the restroom.  Puck said, “Oh, Finn, I’m sure he didn’t say anything.  He wouldn’t be that stupid...Would you?”

Kurt started to open the door to come out, but that was at the same time one of the guys was stepping up to Puck as he said, “What if I did?”  

Sebastian turned to Kurt, “Stay in there a minute,” and closed the door on Kurt, not letting him out yet.

Sebastian heard Kurt from the other side of the door, “Bas!  Let me out! What’s going on?”

Seb called back, “In a minute!  I promise!”

“Look, asshole,”  Puck started, “You can think anything you want.  But keep your mouth shut, and your hands to yourself.  We are going to let Kurt out the restroom.  You are going to stand here silently until we’re back in the gym.  Understood?”

“Oh, they understand,”  Azimio said from behind the hockey players.  Their eyes widened a bit as they turned to see the Azimio standing there with his arms crossed over his massive chest.  “One night, boys.  Just give the guy this one night. He deserves it.”

The hockey guys looked back at Finn and Puck, then over to Sebastian who was glaring at them.  The one guy nodded and stepped aside. The other waited for a second, but followed suit when Puck cleared his throat and glared.  

As soon as they were against the lockers, Sebastian opened the door, “Ok, Babe.  Let’s go.” He held out his hand, which Kurt took.  

“Why did I have to…”  Kurt started to ask, but then he saw the jocks there waiting.  He said nothing else, but as he passed, Azimio, who seemed to be standing guard over the two hockey players, nodded to him with a smirk on his lips.  Kurt didn’t react.  He just kept walking, with Sebastian in between him and the jocks, Puck in front of him, and Finn behind him.

 

Leah and Sam were dancing, when a girl approached them.  She looked at Leah, “Hi. Um, I’m Morgan.”

Leah smiled, “Hi.  I’m Leah, Sam’s girlfriend.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Leah.  Um, my friends and I were wondering where you got your dress.  We shopped _everywhere_ for ours, and we don’t remember seeing that one.  It’s gorgeous.”

Leah smiled, “Thank you.  Do you know Kurt Hummel?” Sam smiled.

Morgan nodded, “Yeah, why?”

“He’s my brother’s boyfriend.” Leah held out the bottom of her dress,  “He designed and made this for me.”

Morgan’s eyes widened.  “He _made_ that?!”

Leah smiled even bigger, “He did!  He’s going to Parsons in New York next year for fashion design.  He’s amazing.”  

Morgan nodded, “Apparently.  I mean, that dress is phenomenal.  You look beautiful in it. It matches your eyes.”

Leah blushed a bit, “Thank you.  Kurt chose this fabric for that exact reason.”

“Wow.  Well, I’ll let you two get back to dancing.  It was nice meeting you, Leah.” She turned to Sam, “Have a good night, Sam.”

“You too, Morgan.”

Morgan when straight to Kurt, “Kurt?”

He turned toward her, “Hi.”  He knew who Morgan was because they had been in some classes together, but they had never spoken.

“Hi.  I just met Leah... Sam’s girlfriend.”  Kurt nodded that he knew who she was talking about.  She continued, “I asked her about her dress, since I had never seen it stores, and it’s so pretty.  She said you made it?”

Kurt smiled and nodded, “I did.”

Morgan smiled, “Wow.  I just wanted to let you know how amazing I think it is.  It’s stunning. Especially on her.”

“Thanks.  She would look great in garbage bag.”

Morgan shook her head, “Yeah, she’s beautiful.  But that dress is perfect for her. It’s gorgeous, Kurt.  I wanted to let you know I thought that.”

Kurt smiled again, “Thanks, Morgan.  That was very nice of you.”  

Morgan left to go back to her friends.  Word quickly spread that Leah’s dress was a Kurt Hummel creation.  

 

Kurt and Sebastian spent the rest of the evening dancing with their dates and having a good time with their friends and family.  Rick was there, because of course they had let him back in school. However, he stayed on the other side of the gym, and never even acknowledged Kurt or Sebastian.  That was fine with them.  

When it came time to announce Prom King and Prom Queen, Kurt suddenly realized that he didn’t know that some of his family were on the court.  Finn, Puck, Azimio and a guy named Micheal, were up for King. Santana, Avery, Quinn, and a girl named McKayla were all up for Queen. Finn and Avery won.  Kurt smiled as the two danced together. Clay went to Rachel, and asked her to dance, making Kurt even happier. It seemed Clay was opening up a bit more, and it looked good on him. 

 

At the end of the night, Kurt and his family left the Prom laughing and having a good time.  Sebastian was so grateful that Kurt got to experience this. They climbed into the waiting limo and made their way back to the Smythe home, where they all planned on spending the night.  

When the limo dropped them off, they came into the living room smiling and chuckling at something Finn had said.  Robert and Tori looked up with a smile, “Did everyone have a good time?”

“We did!”  Sebastian smiled.

“Finn got Prom King!”  Kurt smiled. Finn smiled a dopey smile and shrugged.  

“And everyone loved my dress.  I even had a girl ask me where I got it.  Word spread quickly that it was a Kurt Hummel original.”  Leah smiled.

Kurt said, “I had several girls approach me.  It did make me feel good about my choice for school next year.”

Rachel said, “I thought you were crazy when you told us.  But after seeing that dress, I don’t think you’re quite as crazy anymore.”

Kurt put his arm around Rachel’s shoulders, “Thanks, Rach.”

“I’m ready for some pj time.”  Santana smiled. 

“Aww, but my dolphin looks so handsome in his tux,”  Brittany pouted.  

“Hey!  I look handsome in pj’s too.”  Kurt pouted and then winked at Britt, making her giggle.  

“You look handsome all the time, Babe.”  Sebastian said, wrapping his arms around Kurt from behind.  Kurt closed his eyes and sighed at the touch. It had been hard to watch Sebastian look so gorgeous all night and not be able to touch him much.  

 

Once everyone was changed into their pj’s, they made popcorn and gathered some more snacks and drinks before heading into the media room to watch a movie.  Everyone snuggled with their partners on the couches and under blankets. Kurt and Sebastian looked around at their family and friends and smiled.  

Sebastian looked at Kurt and sighed, “Perfect.”

Kurt nodded, looking back at Sebastian, “Perfect.”

  
  
  



	55. Graduation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soccer, Grad Party, and Graduations. Some surprise guests arrive as the boy's senior year comes to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~The final chapter of Part 1 in the Saved series is finally here! It's a long one, again. I can't believe I finished my very first fan fiction! THANK YOU to everyone who has stuck with me this far and left me encouraging comments. I appreciate you more than you know! I hope to hear from you in Parts 2 and 3!
> 
> ~ Sentences in italics are being spoken in French.

The next couple of weeks were really enjoyable for everyone.  Other than soccer for a few of the boys, everything else had slowed down.  There were no more glee club worries since practices consisted mostly of rehearsing songs for graduation.  There were no more formal dances to shop and prepare for. Hanging out and studying took over.

 

The soccer season came to a sad ending after the first game of the playoffs. Dalton had been undefeated the entire season.  It was nearing the end of the game, and both teams had been struggling to score, leaving the score 1-0, Dalton. Sebastian’s family and friends were all in the stands watching as Sebastian took a hard hit.  He dove for the ball and was horizontal in the air. The ball had been kicked with so much power, that it bypassed his arms and hit him in the chest. It pushed him backwards as the air was knocked out of him, and he rolled a couple of times as he landed before his body came to a stop.

Kurt saw him lying on the ground struggling to breathe as Shawn and Bentley ran to be by his side.  They had been the closest to him at that moment. Kurt was on his feet immediately, ready to head to the field, when Puck grabbed his wrist, “Give them a minute, Princess.  Let them make sure he’s okay. If he’s not, then I’ll be right there with you when you head down.”

Bentley reassured Seb that the coaches and their trainer, Mr. Kelly, were on their way over.  “They’re on their way over, Seb. Try to breathe. It’ll be okay.” There was clear worry in his voice and face that was not helping Sebastian at that moment.  He laid on his back with his knees bent, hands on his head, and gasping for air. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on breathing.

“He’ll be okay, Kurt.  I think he just got the air knocked out of him,”  Robert said as he tried to calm Kurt down. Kurt wasn’t responding to Puck or Robert.  He was too focused on Sebastian.

When the coaches and Mr. Kelly approached Sebastian, Coach Janson instructed him to take some deep breaths.  “Breathe slowly and deep, Sebastian. Where does it hurt?” Sebastian tapped his chest since he was unable to speak.  

Mr. Kelly said, “I’m going to lift your shirt up to make sure there are no visible wounds.”  He did so, and could see a bit of bruising starting, but no punctures of any kind. “Open your eyes and let me check your pupils.”  He used a flashlight to check his pupils, determining that he did not have a concussion.  

After a few moments, Seb’s breathing was getting better, but his lungs and chest still hurt.  They helped him to his feet and the crowd and players from both teams gave him a polite round of applause as he made his way off the field.  He sat on the bench with his elbows on his knees and his head hung, trying to steady his breathing and get the burn in his chest to subside. Mr. Kelly sat next to him and continued to monitor him. 

“Turner, you’re in for Seb,”  Coach Adams said.  
“Give me a minute, Coach.  I can go back out.” Sebastian was determined, but he soon realized that even just talking was a bit of a strain for him.  

Coach shook his head, “No.  You’re staying right there.”

Sebastian leaned back on the bench and tilted his head back, hoping the change in position would help the pain.  It didn’t. He looked up in the stands, seeing Kurt on his feet, and Puck holding onto him. He turned to Mr. Kelly, “Mind if I text Kurt that I’m okay?”  He nodded toward the stands, “Otherwise, I think he’ll be down here any second.”

Mr. Kelly looked up and shook his head with a smirk, “One text, Smythe.  Make it quick.” He grabbed Sebastian’s bag and handed it to him. He dug out his phone, and sent a text quick before putting the bag back on the ground.

 

**To Babe:**

I’m fine, Baby.  I’ll see you after the game.  Love you.

 

Kurt felt his phone buzz, and he had seen Seb texting.  When he read the text, he reluctantly sat down. “He says he’s fine.”  He bit his lip with worry and continued to watch Sebastian.

“See, Princess.  Nothing to worry about.”  

Jeff and Chris looked at each other with amusement written all over their faces and shook their heads.  In true Jeff dramatics, he raised his hands in the air and said, “Like it was possible for him not to want to run down to the field, dramatically knocking people over who got in his way, and perform his own check up on the future Dr. Sebastian Hummel-Smythe.”

Everyone laughed, including Kurt, who was only slightly blushing.  “I’m not denying it,” Kurt smiled. Tori and Robert thought it was adorable.  

Turner tried really hard to keep the score what it was.  But for someone who had never played goalie during a game, only practicing it alongside Sebastian, it just didn’t work out.  Dalton ended up losing the game, 2-1. It was a crappy way for the last game to end, but they had a great season they could still look back on.  Making it to the playoffs was a feat in and of itself.  

Kurt, Robert, and Tori all waited for Sebastian at the gate as the team exited.  Seeing Kurt’s worried eyes, Sebastian kissed Kurt on the forehead, whispering, “I just got the air knocked out of me, Babe.  I feel better as every minute passes.”

Kurt relaxed a little, “Are you sure?  Did they check for a concussion? Are you dizzy?”

“Yes, they checked. No concussion, and I’m not dizzy. I’m fine, Babe.  I have to go to the doctor IF my chest continues to hurt beyond the bruising.  Right now it’s just my lungs. Like I said, that’s getting better by the minute.”

Kurt looked over and saw that Coach Adams was basically telling Robert and Tori the same thing.  He nodded and spoke softly, “Okay. I was scared, Bas. You can’t do that to me anymore, okay?”

Sebastian chuckled, “Well, considering that was our last game, I don’t think you have to worry about that.”

Kurt frowned, “I know.  I’m sorry, Love. That wasn’t the best way to end the perfect season.”

“It’s okay.  We had a good run.  It’s been fun, and I made new friends.  It’s all good.” Kurt smiled softly at him and nodding in agreement.

 

………………

 

The next Wednesday coffee date with the New Directions was bitter sweet.  The good thing was that since soccer was over, Sebastian got to tag along as well.  Shannon, the barista, was happy to see him again. “I’ve missed the days when the two of you came in here together.  It was always a highlight for me, seeing you two.”

“Well, that’s sweet, Shannon.  Thanks. I miss those days too,”  Sebastian smiled.  

 

When they made it over to the tables, Sugar asked Sebastian, “How are you feeling, Seb?”

Sebastian shrugged, “Oh, I’m fine.  It stopped hurting to breathe by the time we went to bed that night.  I have a little bruising, but it’s no big deal.”

“A little bruising,”  Kurt muttered under his breath as he shook his head.  The bruising had been pretty bad.

Seb smiled and put his hand on Kurt’s shoulder, “I’m fine, Babe.”  Puck chuckled as he watched Kurt roll his eyes.

 

Everyone sat around drinking their coffee and talking.  The topic these days always revolved around college plans.  In the New Directions, Santana, Brittany, Mike, Finn, Rachel, Quinn, Mercedes, Puck, and Sugar were all seniors.

Santana had accepted a cheer scholarship for Boston University.  Although Louisville was a nice city, there wasn't much around it.  She was happy that she wasn’t going to be stuck in Kentucky, like she originally thought.  Brittany was going with her, but college just wasn’t for her. She planned on working, hopefully at a dance studio, while Santana went to school.  

Mike was going to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  He really wanted out of Ohio, but Miami offered what he wanted, had a beautiful campus, and he wouldn’t be too far from his family, who were extremely important to him.  Tina was glad he would be in Ohio, but she wasn’t sure he’d want to stay together while he was in college. It was something that she was willing to wait and see what would happen.

Finn was going to go to Lima Community college.  He was also learning to be a full fledged mechanic from Burt and Cassius.  Their hope was that he would get his mechanics license and a degree, then one day take over Hummel Tire and Lube.  It made Kurt really happy that Finn wanted to do that, and that his Dad and Carol would have him there in case they needed anything.

Rachel had decided not to work or go to school until she re-audition to get into NYADA.  Kurt had tried to encourage her to look into other colleges. He had even sent her information on the University of Cincinnati.  Kurt told her it was cheaper, and the university’s CCM (College-Conservatory of Music) program had a fantastic reputation and a high ranking among theater programs, but she refused to think of anything but New York.  When she told him that, he sent her information on NYU’s theater program, along with some other smaller schools. She refused to do anything but put all of her eggs in one basket with NYADA. He tried, but if she wanted to wait, there was nothing he could do about that.

Mercedes was headed to LA mid-summer.  She wanted to try her shot at singing, and planned on attending Full Sail University.  Kurt and Sebastian didn’t know much about the university, but they did know that Mercedes had some pipes on her that could work some magic.  They were really hopeful that she was successful and happy. She had worked hard, and deserved her shot.

Quinn was headed to Yale at the end of summer.  She gushed about Cameron going to Yale as well. Everyone was happy that she was going to her dream school, and maybe a few of them were even a little jealous that her hot new boyfriend, who seemed perfect for her, was going with her.  Happy, but jealous.  

Sugar told everyone about how the bakery renovation was coming along.  She told them about her design choices, and the meetings her dad had with some companies that were willing to help run the business until they could do it on their own.

Puck told everyone about NYU.  He was excited to start classes, and see the campus a little more.  He was nervous, but he would have his girl and his two best friends there with him.  He never really had much else, so for him, moving away from Lima was just going to be a change of scenery.  

Sebastian told everyone about Columbia, and how it has become a family tradition for the Smythe’s to attend.  He shared his hopes of opening his own practice in New York one day. Kurt watched him with a smile on his face.  He loved watching Sebastian talk about the future.  

Kurt told everyone about Parsons.  He explained to some of the guys that it’s where Project Runway had been filmed for several seasons, and that Tim Dunn had been a professor there.  He told them about how Parsons wasn’t too far from NYU or Puck and Sugar’s new place, so he would have somewhere to go if he needed something.  Everyone was happy with his choice after hearing how excited he was about it. He sounded just as excited for Parson’s as he had been about Disney.  They knew it had to have been the right decision.

Sam, Tina, Joe, and Artie, all talked about what Glee was going to look like next year.  They worried that they wouldn’t find enough people to even have a club eligible for competitions.  Rorie was headed back to Ireland for his senior year. They couldn’t do much with just four people. Santana promised to talk to some of the cheerios and see if any of the underclassman would be willing to join.  They would have to wait until next school year to see what happens.  

 

Kurt sat listening to everyone talk about where they were going and what they were going to do.  Their tight knit group was spreading their wings. Soon, everyone was going to be going in different directions.  He thought about everything he had gained in the last few years, but that also made him think about everything he had lost or missed out on.  

Kurt and Sebastian were walking back to their car after everyone was leaving.  Sebastian carefully asked, “Are you okay, Babe? You’ve been really quiet for the last half hour.”

Kurt thought for a minute before answering.  He didn’t really know how to explain what he was feeling, so instead he asked, “Can we go somewhere quick?”

Seb frowned in confusion, “Sure.  Where do you want to go?”

“You’ll see.  I’ll give directions as we go.”

“Okay, Babe.”  

They headed out of the parking lot, and Kurt directed Sebastian to the outskirts of Lima.  “Turn right in the next driveway.”

They passed through the gates that were clearly marked ‘Memorial Park Cemetery’, and Sebastian knew exactly why they were there.  

Kurt directed Sebastian on how to get to his mother’s burial plot.  When they reached their destination, they silently got out of the car.  Seb went around to Kurt’s side, grabbing his hand as Kurt lead them to her grave.  

Elizabeth M. Hummel.  Beloved wife and mother.  Kurt stopped at the foot of her grave, staring at her tombstone.  Sebastian stepped up behind him and wrapped his arms around him.  

“She would have loved you so much, Bas.  I know she would have.” Kurt let a tear roll down his cheek.  

Sebastian took a deep breath. “You know, Kurt… I know we believe different things when it comes to God.  Because of that, I don’t know what you believe as far as what happens after death. But what I believe is that she can see you, and watch over you.  And I think she’s proud of you, Baby. You’ve become a strong man. A _good_ man… Smart, handsome, kind, loyal, loving, and talented.  She has to be so very proud of you. Just like I am. And I’m sure she’s proud of your dad for raising you that way.”

Kurt smiled a little, “Yep.  She’d have loved you.” He paused for a beat, “If all of that is true, about her being able to watch over us… I bet she really likes Carol and Finn, too.  Carol has done a great job at being a mom to me for the past couple of years. But at the same time, she’s never tried to replace my mom. She’s been nothing but respectful about that.  I love her, too.”

“I agree.  Your mom would love her.  She’s pretty great.” Sebastian squeezed Kurt a little.  

Kurt sighed, “I don’t come here enough.  I came on Mother's Day. I didn’t tell anyone.  But other than that, I only make it here once a year or so.  I should have come more when I had the opportunity.”

“I’m sure she understands.  This isn’t where her spirit lies, Babe.  She knows you love her without you coming here to say it.”  Sebastian kissed the top of Kurt’s head.  

“I love you, Bas.”

“I love you, too, Babe.”

 

………………

 

The Smythe’s were hosting a large graduation party the weekend before the actual graduation.  They decided that because so many of them were seniors, they wanted to have one big celebration together, and because so many of the Dalton boys lived out of state, they wanted to do it before anyone went back home.  The Smythe’s loved hosting.  Robert had been alone in their mansion for years. Having his family back, meant the world to him. Having their new family join them, was an added bonus that he would always be grateful for.  

The Smythe’s, Hummel’s, and Motta’s all got together on Friday night to prepare for the party the following day.  Burt brought all of the meat from his favorite butcher, and then helped Robert set up extra tables. Vinny was making some side dishes.  Sugar, Puck, and Kurt were making the deserts. Tori, Carol, Cindy, and Leah were doing all of the decorating. Sebastian, Sam, and Finn were preparing snacks, getting ice from the store, and getting the coolers, chairs, and extra tables set up outside.  Everyone was doing a job and the place was coming together really nicely.  

When the doorbell rang, everyone was pretty busy doing whatever their job was, that they basically ignored it, thinking someone else would get it.  The second time it rang, Sebastian had come inside to get some more folding chairs. He looked around. Nobody was moving from what they were doing, so he called out, “I’ll get it!”  When he opened the door, his eyes widened and mouth hung open.

“ _We heard there was a party here this weekend_?”  His grand-mère smiled.  His grand-père raised his eyebrows and smiled with anticipation.

“ _Oh my god!  What are you two doing here_?!”  Sebastian asked as he went in for hugs from both of his grandparents.

“ _We want to see you graduate, Sebastian.  And when your mother said you were having a party, we couldn’t miss it,”_ His grand-père smiled.

Sebastian ushered them inside, “ _Does anyone else know you were coming?  How did you get here from the airport_?”  His grandparents knew English quite well, having lived in the very house they were standing in, but Sebastian seemed to automatically switch over to French whenever he was around them.  

“ _No, Dear, we wanted to surprise everyone.  We took an Uber. Our bags are out by the garage_.”

Sebastian smiled, “ _Everyone is going to be so happy to see you!  Kurt and his family are here tonight, as well as Puck and Sugar, and their family!  Remember me telling you about them_?”  Sebastian had talked to his grandparents every couple of weeks.  Between speaking with all four Smythe’s, they pretty much knew everything that had happened, as well who everyone was.  They were really looking forward to meeting everyone.  Especially Kurt, since everyone was so fond of him, and he was the one who seemed to save their Sebby.

Grand-père smiled, “ _We can’t wait to meet them, Sebastian.  Especially Kurt._ ”  They loved that Sebastian was so excited that they all finally got to meet.  

“ _Everyone is spread out doing different jobs.  Let’s go see where Leah is. She’ll be so excited.  Her boyfriend, Sam, is here too._ ”  Sebastian was so excited.  

“ _I can’t believe Leah has a boyfriend_!”  His grand-mère smiled.

“ _Yes, and he’s great_.”  Seb smiled.  “ _He lives with Kurt’s family._ ”

“ _We know, Dear.  You all have kept us up to date quite well_.”  

As they walked further into the house, Sebastian called out for both his family and Kurt.  Most everyone was outside, but when Kurt heard Sebastian call for him, he grabbed a towel and started wiping his hands off as he walked toward Seb’s voice.  “What do you need, Love?” He rounded the corner toward the foyer, and lowered the towel as he looked up. Surprise and confusion was written all over his face.  

Sebastian was smiling from ear to ear, “Grand-mère, Grand-père, this is the love of my life...my boyfriend, Kurt Hummel.”  Kurt’s eyes widened as he looked at Sebastian then, back to his grandparents. “Kurt, this is my grandmother, Celeste Laurent, and my grandfather, Beau Laurent.”

Celeste giggled, “That’s the same look Sebby had when he opened the door and saw us.  It’s an absolute pleasure to finally meet you, Kurt. Please, call us Celeste and Beau.  Or Grand-mère and Grand-père if you’d like.”

A smile grew on Kurt’s face as he slowly realized what was happening.  “It’s lovely to meet you, too! Oh my goodness, this is a surprise!” He shook both of their hands.  

“Well, we weren’t going to miss Sebastian’s graduation.  And we’ve never been known to miss a party, either.  It’s great to meet you, Kurt.”  Beau smiled.  

“Mom, Dad, and Leah don’t know they’re here either, Babe.”  Sebastian said, looking behind Kurt to see if he could see anyone.

“Woah, being sneaky really does run in the family,”  Kurt chuckled. “I think they’re outside, Bas.  I think everyone is, actually.”  Celeste and Beau smiled.

Sebastian took Kurt’s hand and they walked with his grandparents to the back doors.  He turned to them, “Just a minute.” He opened the door and he and Kurt stepped out, “Can I have everyone’s attention, please?”  Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned toward the boys, “A very special present was just delivered.  It’s the best graduation present ever.  Are you ready to see it?” Everyone said ‘yes’ or nodded. He turned toward the door, “Come on out!”  

Celeste and Beau stepped out with a smile.  Leah yelled, “Oh my God!” and ran toward them, giving them huge hugs when she got to them.  

Tori had been blowing up balloons at the time, and the one she was holding went flying in circles as it lost its air after she let go.  “Maman! Papa!”

Robert chuckled, “Holy cow!  When did you guys get here?!”

The three of them went over and gave hugs while everyone else watched smiling.  Tori introduced everyone to her parents, and Celeste and Beau sat chatting with everyone as people finished up their tasks.   

Celeste smiled at Burt and Carol as she sat talking with them, “It’s so nice to finally meet everyone that we’ve heard so much about.  Thank you for welcoming my family into your family so easily.”

Burt looked over at Sebastian who was with Kurt and Robert.  He nodded and had a small smile gracing his lips, then looked back at Celeste, “That goes both ways.  And Seb has been an absolute blessing to our family. We love the kid. We love all of them, actually.  They’ve all been amazing.”

Celeste nodded and looked over at the boys.  She watched as Kurt put his arm around Sebastian’s waist as he looked up at him, whispering something.  Sebastian laughed as he wrapped his arm around Kurt’s shoulder, pulling him close and kissing his forehead.  Kurt closed his eyes as he was being kissed and rubbed small circles on Sebastian’s back. ”This is a side of Sebastian I’ve never seen.  I always hoped I would see this day. For awhile there, I was afraid it would never happen.  But look at them.  I’ve never seen Sebastian look at someone the way he looks at Kurt.”

Carol grinned, “They both look at each other like that.  It never falters. Their love is pretty amazing.”

 

Later that evening, after the house was prepared, and everyone was gone for the evening, Sebastian came into great room and sat down with on the floor in front of the fireplace.  His grand-père smiled at him, “ _You look happy, Sebastian_.”

Sebastian smiled, “ _I am_.”

Celeste looked at Tori, “ _You were right… about Sebastian and Kurt, I mean.  Seeing the two of them together...The pictures you sent were lovely, but there’s nothing like seeing it in person."_   Tori and Robert nodded with knowing grins, and Celeste looked at her grandson, “ _You love him._ ”

Sebastian nodded, “ _Grand-mere, I didn’t know it was even possible to love someone like I love Kurt_.”

 

………………..

 

The Hummel’s and Motta's arrived a little bit early the next day and helped get out the food and drinks, set up the pool floats, and put the final touches on the party.  Kurt hugged everyone upon his arrival.  

“Hey Kurt!”  Leah smiled as she went for a hug,  “Seb’s outside blowing up some of the pool floats.  If you don’t see him, then he’s in the pool house getting the new one we got for Artie.”

Kurt smiled, “Thanks, Leah.”  He kissed her on the cheek quick before he headed outside.  Sebastian was nowhere in site, so Kurt headed to the pool house.  The pool house was to the right of the pool and patio, with a small garden in front of it that lead to the larger gardens that surrounded the pool.  It was about 1,000 square feet and could double as a guest house if needed. Not that a mansion with tons of bedrooms ever really needed it. It had a bathroom, a small bedroom, and a large living room and kitchen area that had an entire wall made of glass that slid open.

The sliding door was open and the ceiling fan was on, so Kurt went inside, “Bas?”

“In here, Babe!”  Sebastian called out from the bedroom.  “I’m just getting the bigger float.”

Kurt walked through the door, and Sebastian’s face lit up with a smile when he saw him.  Sebastian walked up to him and backed him up until he was against the wall.

Kurt let out a breathy “Hi”, and Sebastian grinned before leaning in for a kiss.  It was soft and sweat, but Sebastian soon deepened it. If he could have had his way, he would have taken Kurt right then and there.  

When they broke for air, Kurt smiled, “Bas… If you get me harder than I already am, and I have to go out there and face our entire family…”

Sebastian laughed and didn’t let Kurt finish, “Okay, okay.  I get it.” He sighed with a signature Smythe smirk, “It’s going to be hard, no pun intended, to be good today.”

Kurt smiled and bounced his eyebrows, “You’re telling me.”

Sebastian walked back to the bed and grabbed the box with the new float in it, “Look what Leah and I got for Artie.”  He held up the box that had a picture of a [ giant red balloon animal ](https://www.ruralking.com/balloon-animal-pool-float?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=shopping&utm_content=5035179&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhJrqBRDZARIsALhp1WQ6P6OyjmneLT21X0smq6Gfda_yYOnVRIM7f3Mz_zEqt8vMe2I9VnEaAiF4EALw_wcB)on it.

Kurt laughed, “That’s a pool float?  He’ll love it. That was sweet of you.”  He kissed Seb on the lips quickly.  

They took the pool float outside, along with a pump, and began to inflate it.  Puck and Sugar came walking out. “What the hell is that?” Puck smiled with an eyebrow cocked.

Sebastian chuckled, “It’s a float!  Duh!  How about you and your muscles take over for me while I go get the other small ones out.”

“Sure man,”  Puck smiled. The float was only halfway inflated, so it was very abstract in appearance.  Puck began pumping, “No, seriously. What is this thing?” Kurt held up the box and they all laughed.  

“What else do you have?”  Sugar asked as she followed Sebastian to get the other floats.

“Well, we have a rainbow,”  he looked at her and winked.  She giggled and shook her head.  He continued, “a mermaid tail, and a cactus.  And lots of pool noodles.”

“I’ll take the pool noodles.”  She grabbed an arm full of them from the closet and headed back outside.  Finn and Sam had joined Kurt and Puck, so Sebastian handed both of them a float to blow up.  

 

Once people started to arrive, everything was ready.  Decorations were up, the food was out, and the smaller floats were in the pool.   Between the Warblers, New Directions, the Dalton soccer team, a few Cheerios (including Clay, Avery, and Jack), parents, and even some teachers and coaches stopping by, there was a big crowd really quickly.

Beau, Robert, Vinny, and Burt all sat around talking politics and Burt’s agenda.  Beau had always kept track of American politics, even while living in France, but took special interest in Burt once he learned of Kurt.  Beau was impressed with Burt’s ideas and how he supports the arts and the LGBTQ community. He planned on contributing to his campaign if he decided to run again.  

Tori approached, “Robert, why don’t you guys go ahead and start the grill?  It’s getting close to lunch time.”

“Sure, Hun.”  Robert got up to prepare the grill and then he and Burt went to get the meat.  

Beau turned to Vinny, “Your Sugar is a sweetheart.  And Puck seems like a great guy. Sebastian said he’s his best friend.”  

Vinny nodded and smiled, “They’re all something else.  I love every one of them.  Puck looks at Sugar like she hung the moon and the stars.  I’m so glad she has him.  The four of them are really close.  I think Puck would fight to the death for any of them.”  Vinny looked over at Puck smiling, but frowned and became concerned right away.  He had never seen the look on Puck’s face that he was showing right now.  “Something’s not right,” Vinny whispered, mostly to himself. 

Puck stood up and made his way to the back door of the house where his mother, Debra, was standing.  He approached her slowly, and spoke softly, “You came.” He didn’t know what to think of that yet. He had invited her because he felt obligated.  She hadn’t come to a single thing during his entire high school career. No football games. No Glee Club competitions. No parent/teacher conferences.  Nothing.

Vinny watched from his seat with worried eyes.  He looked over to Sugar.  She was making her way to Puck.  She hadn’t even met Puck’s mother yet.  Cindy grabbed Carol by the arm, and they all watched.  Sebastian was sitting with Kurt, talking to Chris and Thad.  He stopped mid-sentence when he noticed and everyone turned to see what he was looking at.

“I came,”  Debra said.  She looked down, not knowing what else to say.  

Sugar walked up behind Puck and put her hand on his arm.  He turned to her and gave a small smile as he grabbed her hand.  “Ma, this is my girlfriend, Sugar Motta.”

Sugar held out her free hand, “It’s nice to meet you.”

Debra shook it, “You too.”

“Can I get you something to drink, or maybe something to eat?  They haven’t grilled yet, but there are plenty of snacks,” Sugar asked.

“I would love iced tea.  Thank you,” Debra said. Sugar nodded.  She turned to the table where the tea was, and caught Kurt’s eye.  She mouthed ‘his mom’ to Kurt. Kurt’s eyes widened.  

“Bas!”  Kurt whispered.  

“I saw, Babe.  Wow.”  

Kurt and Sebastian made their way over toward Puck when they realized he seemed to be standing in awkward silence.  His mom seemed to be in the same boat.  Puck was relieved when he saw them, “Ma, these are my two best friends, Sebastian Smythe, and Kurt Hummel.  This is Sebastian’s house.  Guys, this is my Ma, Debra.”  She started to smile, but it fell short when Sebastian put his arm around Kurt’s waist. 

Kurt held out his hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.  We just love Noah.” She glanced between the two boys, then quickly back to Puck, who seemed to be glaring at her.  

She nodded and shook his hand, “It’s nice to meet you too.”  Puck noticed her tone was a bit off.

As Sugar was making her way back with Debra’s drink, Puck grabbed his mom’s arm, “Let’s go inside.”  They walked inside, and Puck turned toward her as soon as the door shut, “What’s your problem?!”

She looked at him like it was obvious, “Are they…together?”  She stressed the last word, and made a face of disgust. Puck’s face turned red with anger, but she continued, “And there was another group of guys out there that seemed... _close_.  Are all of your friends gay?”

Outside, Sebastian, Kurt, and Sugar all looked at each other, wondering if they should go in or not.  They decided to give them a minute or two before checking.

Puck frowned, “No, Ma.  Not all of my friends are gay.  But my two best friends are. They're a couple.  A very loving couple.  And yes, there are other gay guys out there, and even a couple of girls who are gay.  Do you have a problem with that?”

Robert and Burt came up from the basement, where they were getting the meat from the deep freezer.  Debra frowned, “I don’t think it’s good for you to be around them, Noah!”

Burt cleared his throat, “Everything okay, Puck?”  He looked between the two of them.

“Just peachy, Burt!  Mother dearest here decided to finally come to an event in my life.  And when she did, she decided she doesn’t think the people who I choose to spend my time with are good for me because they love the wrong people.”  Burt and Robert both frowned.

Puck was starting to raise his voice.  Sugar could hear him from outside, so the three of them decided to go in.  Vinny followed.  They stood and stared, because Puck wasn’t even close to being finished, “Do you see those two men over there?!”  He pointed to Burt and Robert, “They have raised the two most amazing men I have ever had the privilege of knowing. They are like brothers to me, and they love each other more than any straight couple I have ever seen.”  He noticed Vinny, “These three men have been like fathers to me, and their wives like mothers. _They_ are my family.  They have cheered me on, welcomed me into their homes, helped me study, helped me apply to colleges, fed me, and given me a job.  _They_ support me, and I would do anything for them.  It’s sad to me that right before I leave, you decide to show up.  And when you do, you don’t like what you see.”

She crossed her arms and scoffed, “Leave?  Where do you think your going?”

“Well, Ma, now that I’m finally seeing you sober, I guess I’ll fill you in.  I’m going to New York City.  Sugar and I are moving in together, and I’m starting classes at NYU in the Fall.”

She shook her head, “You can’t afford that.”

“I got a $150,000 scholarship that covers nearly three years of tuition, Ma.  I’ve been working at Hummel Tire and Lube for a few months, and before that, I had a pool cleaning business for a couple of years that I started on my own.  I saved my money for years now, and I’ll continue to work.  Sugar and I already have a place to stay.  She’s opening a bakery, and I’m going to school for business so I can help run it.  I’m going.”

Debra glared at him, and shifted her weight to the other hip.  She turned to Sugar, who had made her way to stand next to Puck and grabbed his hand.  She looked over at Kurt and Sebastian who were standing on the other side of Puck, and they were holding hands.  She looked at their hands and then back up to their eyes. Kurt gave his best ‘bitch please’ face and Sebastian glared right back at her.  She scoffed, “I can’t believe you would leave me for...this,” she looked at Kurt and Sebastian with disgust.  

“That’s enough!  Get out!” Puck pointed toward the door.  Debra glared as Puck continued, “You do not get to show up here, in their home, and treat them like that!  I have been just fine without you, and I don’t intend to change that now. Out, Ma.  I’ll check all the local bars before I leave town, so I can be sure to say a proper goodbye, but right now, you aren’t welcome here.”

Vinny piped up, “I’ll show you the door.”  He gestured toward the door as he approached her.  She scoffed and turned on her heels, walking toward the door.

When they got outside, Vinny finally spoke, “Somehow, all on his own, your son has become an amazing young man.  He and my daughter love each other very much.  I’ve made sure that they will be just fine in New York.  Considering the fact that Kurt and Sebastian are Sugar and Puck’s best friends, and they would basically do anything for each other, I think it’s best that you don’t bother them anymore.  I will contact you if there is an emergency.  Otherwise, it's best you leave Puck be.  Puck will be moving in with us until they leave later this summer.”

She frowned, “You don’t get to decide that.”

Vinny shook his head, “He’s 18, so he gets to decide.  But considering he practically lives with us and the Hummel’s anyway, I’m sure it won’t be a big deal.”  

Debra flipped him off and stormed down the walkway to the driveway to get to her car.

Inside, Puck had sat on the couch.  He pulled Sugar into his lap and he nuzzled into her neck as she cradled his head in her arms.  “I’m so sorry, Honey,” she said before kissing the side of his head.  

Kurt sat down next to him, putting his arm around Puck’s shoulder.  Sebastian sat on the other side of Kurt.  Kurt asked, “Are you okay, Noah?”  Robert and Burt sat on the couch across from them.

He shrugged, “Now you see the shit I’ve dealt with.  I’m so sorry she acted like that.  In your home, no less.”

Sebastian responded, “You don’t need to apologize for someone else’s actions, Puck.  You were pretty amazing standing up to her like that.”

Burt said, “I’m proud of you, kid.  You stood up for Kurt and Sebastian, just like you always do.  And by doing that, you stood up for yourself too.”

Robert added, “Puck, I don’t know how you turned out the way you did if that’s what it’s like at home.  You’re amazing.”

Puck huffed, “It’s not like that at home.  At home, I’m usually alone. That’s why I stay at the Hummel’s so often.  And if she _is_ home, then she’s usually drunk.”

“I want you to know that you are always welcome here, too.  Any time you like, whether Sebastian is home or not.”  

“Thanks, Robert.  I appreciate that you’ve always been welcoming to me.”  Puck squeezed Sugar a little more.

Carol and Cindy came in just as Vinny came back from walking Debra out.  Cindy saw the look on Vinny’s face and knew whatever happened, couldn’t have been good.

Vinny stood at the end of the couch, “I’m sorry, Puck.  That was pretty horrible.  I don’t want you going back to live with her.  I know you said she’s rarely home, and most of the time you’re either with the Hummel’s or us anyway, but I want you to go get your things tomorrow and officially move in with us until you both leave for New York.”  

“Really?”  Puck said looking up at Vinny.  Tears were beginning to form. Everyone had small smiles on their faces.

“Really.  You’re already family, son.  And I won’t let family put up with shit like that if I can help it.”

“What do you say, Honey?”  Sugar looked at him with a hope in her eyes.  “Please?  Move in with us!”

Puck smiled, “I would love to.”  Everyone smiled, but Vinny was more delighted than anyone.  He needed to make sure that Puck was away from his mother.  Something about seeing her treat her son and his friends like that brought out the papa bear in Vinny.  He needed to protect Puck, who was usually the protector himself.  Puck deserved to finally have someone take care of him for a change.

“We’ll help you move, Noah.  With all of us, we’ll be done in a flash,”  Kurt smiled and put his hand on Puck’s knee.  

“That’s okay, Princess.  You study for exams.  I’m only taking my clothes and a few other things.  I don’t want anything else from that place.”

Sebastian nodded, “If you change your mind, let us know, okay?  You know we’re here if you need us.”

Puck smiled, “Yeah.  Thanks, man.” He looked around at everyone, “I meant what I told Ma.  You guys are my true family. You’ve been brothers, and fathers, and mothers to me when I needed you most.  I can’t thank you enough.”

“We love you, Puck,”  Burt smiled. “Now… Let’s go enjoy the party!”  Everyone agreed and got up to head back outside.  

 

After everyone ate lunch, the guitars came out, and the singing began.  They always had so much fun when the two groups got together. New Directions had fun with the Warblers who could beatbox and sound like instruments, and the Warblers enjoyed having female voices added to songs.  Those not in either group were amazed at awesome the groups sounded together.  

They sang song after song, and everyone nibbled on the desserts that Sugar, Puck, and Kurt had made.  Beau and Celeste loved hearing everyone sing.  Especially Sebastian and Kurt.  Sebastian had shown them the dvd from Nationals the night before, but nothing compared to seeing and hearing them live. 

Sebastian grabbed some cupcakes and took them to his grandparents, “Try these.  Sugar made them.”

Beau and Celeste took a bite as the other parents sat watching their reactions.  Their eyes widened.  Beau kept eating his as Celeste said, “ _This is so good!  Oh my gosh, these could be in any Paris pâtisserie!”_

Sebastian laughed, “English, Grand-mère!”  He translated for her, so everyone knew what she had said.  They all smiled and agreed with how good it was.  

Beau finished his cupcake, “That was delicious!  I didn’t want to stop and talk about it, I wanted to eat.  Now I’ll talk about it.”  He wiped his mouth with a napkin and smiled, “That was the best cupcake I’ve ever eaten!”

Vinny smiled, “Let’s hope New York City agrees with you.  I have a lot banking on this.”  Everyone chuckled.  

 

Jeff came running up to Sebastian, “Come on!  Let’s swim!  Where’s Kurtsie?”

Sebastian answered, “I don’t know.  Last I saw him, he was with Brittany and Santana in the pool house.”

Jeff giggled and sing-songed, “Brown-chicken-brown-cow…” in a way that made it sound like cheesy porn music from the 70's.

Sebastian laughed and playfully hit Jeff in the arm, “You’re ridiculous.”

“Whatever you say, Smythe,”  Jeff smiled.

Jeff ran over to the pool house.  Kurt wasn’t there, but Santana and Brittany were, “Hey, Jeffie, we hear you’re going to be in Boston, too.  You’ll have to call us and we can hang out sometime.”

Jeff smiled, “You’re going to be in Boston?!”  The girls nodded, “Yay!  We’ll definitely call.  And maybe we can take the train up to New York together every once in awhile to visit the Hummel-Smythe’s, Puckerman’s, and Carnes’.”

Their conversation was interrupted by some hoots and hollers coming from the pool area.  When they looked over to see what it was, all they saw was Kurt in his swim trunks, sans shirt.  “Damn,”  Jeff, Santana, and Brittany said all at once. They walked over to where the action was. 

“What’s going on?”  Jeff said when they got there.  
Kurt’s cheeks were pink, “Nothing.”

“Not true, Kurt.”  Cameron smiled with a slight chuckle, “Seems most of these guys and girls haven’t seen Kurt with his shirt off for a long time...or ever.  They were a bit shocked to see he’s actually really fit under those Dalton uniforms and designer clothes.”

“You don’t seem shocked,”  Lucas replied to Cameron.

“Of course not.  He’s my roommate.  I see him shirtless all the time.”  Cameron rolled his eyes.

“You do look good, little brother.”  Finn said as he walked up, munching on a slice of watermelon.  “When did you get these muscles?”  Kurt wasn’t big like his brothers, Puck, or even Sebastian, but he had been working out more, and he was definitely toned and muscular.  He looked really good.

“Thanks.  Um, well, mostly cheer, and I guess dancing for Nationals?  But I’ve been going to the weight room with Bas some.” Kurt shrugged.

As if on cue, Sebastian came outside in his swim trunks, ready to get in the pool, “What have you been doing with Bas some?”  He smiled, wrapping his arms around Kurt from behind.

Santana smiled, “With a body like that, probably a lot.”

“Tana!”  Kurt shook his head.  He turned and kissed Sebastian on the cheek, “Lifting.”

Sebastian looked at Santana, who was still checking Kurt out.  “Are you guys talking about how amazing my boyfriend looks?”

“Oookkaaayyy!  Let’s go swimming.”  He didn’t mind people looking at him, but he didn’t really want to hear what they were saying about what they saw.  

Chris leaned over to Thad and whispered, “He does look hot as hell.”

“Mmhmm,”  Thad agreed. “Seb looks good too.”  Chris agreed. 

 

“Artie, look what Bas and Leah got for you!”  Kurt carried the giant float over. “Are you ready to get in?”

“That’s awesome!”  Artie laughed. “Yeah, man, I’m ready.”  He looked at Sebastian, “Thanks, Sebastian!”

Seb smiled, “No problem, Artie.  I’m glad you like it.”

Kurt walked down the steps of the pool with the float and held it steady.  Puck picked up Artie carried him into the pool, and set him in the float.

Puck made his way to Kurt and spoke quietly, “You really do look great, Princess.”

“Thanks, Noah.”

“I think you need to keep up with lifting once we get to New York.  You have a gym in the building. Take advantage of that.  And I think you and Sugar need to take some self defense classes.  Actually, it wouldn’t hurt if we all took them.  Just… with everything you’ve both been through, I think it would make you feel better, and more confident when you’re out alone.”

Kurt thought for a second, “You’re probably right.  Mr Kelly, the trainer at school, he’s shown me a few things.  But classes would probably be a good idea. Have you said anything to Sugar about it?”

Puck shook his head, “Nah, I was hoping to get you on board first.”  He smiled, “I figured she’d be more likely to say yes if you were going too.”

Kurt smiled, “You’re probably right.”

 

The girls were coming out of the house, wearing swimsuits.  Kurt laughed when he heard one of the Dalton boys say, “Damn.  Now I understand why my parents sent me to an all boys school.”

When Leah came out, Sebastian intentionally looked at Lucas and glared at him.  Lucas laughed, throwing his hands up in surrender.  

Puck looked over at the back door to the house and glared as Shawn walked out.  Kurt looked back behind him to see what, or who, was causing that reaction from Puck.  “It’s okay, Noah. We invited him.” Puck eased up a little. Kurt turned toward Sebastian, “Bas.”  When Seb looked at Kurt, he nodded in the direction of Shawn.  

Sebastian looked over and nodded.  He hopped out of the pool and made his way to Shawn, “Hey, Shawn.  I’m glad you could make it.” He held his hand out for Shawn to shake.  

As Shawn shook Seb’s hand, he asked, “Thanks, but are you sure it’s okay that I’m here?  I don’t want anyone to be uncomfortable.”

Seb nodded, “I’m sure, Shawn.  Kurt and I discussed it.  We don’t want there to be any hard feelings.  We want to leave school on good terms with everyone. You learned your lesson, and have been just fine since.  As long as it stays that way, we’re all good.” Shawn nodded. Sebastian continued, “Good. Now go eat something, change into your suit, and relax.”

 

Everyone was having a great time.  Some were swimming, some were singing, some were hanging out in the chairs, eating or just talking.  Teachers and coaches showed up every once in awhile. Cassius and Mr. Howard both made an appearance as well.

Sebastian’s soccer coaches came and had a good time with the team for a little while.  They were the only adults who got in the pool. Sebastian thought it was hilarious that they were acting like teenagers in all their crazy antics.

Mr. Schlotman came and brought his wife.  They enjoyed talking to the parents. Especially Beau, since he was a history buff as well.  They discussed different topics about both American history, and French history. Kurt sat and joined them for awhile.  He loved listening to their stories.

Headmaster Larson came for a short time.  He enjoyed seeing the kids so carefree, running around having a good time.  He was used to seeing everyone being very studious. He mingled with the adults mostly, not wanting the kids to feel like they had to behave on his account.  Robert approached him and quietly said, “Thanks for helping with the deal we made earlier this year.  It’s done them both a world of good.  He’s safe and happy, and that’s what matters most to us.” 

Headmaster Larson nodded in agreement, “They are both amazing young men, Mr. Smythe.  You should be very proud.”

Robert nodded, “I am.  More than I could ever express.”

Coach Sylvester and Mr. Schuester came to the party together.  They mingled with both parents and students.  Coach smiled as Sebastian approached her.  She looked back at the house with a raised eyebrow, “You weren’t kidding when we joked about the penthouse in New York, were you?”

Sebastian chuckled, “Not even a little bit.”

She shook her head, “So when do you leave?”

Sebastian said, “In a few weeks we’re going to Paris to spend a month in our home there.  Then we’ll return for about a week before leaving for New York for good.”

Coach’s mouth was agape and her eyebrows raised, “Not even kidding?”

Sebastian smiled with a chuckle, “Nope.”  He pointed to his grandparents, “That’s my Grandpère and Grandmère Laurent.  Technically this is their home. It’s been in our family for, well, what seems like forever.  They also have a home in Paris. Mom and Leah and I lived with them for a few years while Mom helped take care of her dying sister.  We moved back here just before the start of school. I met Kurt about a week later. Anyway, the Smythe family has a couple of properties too.  One is a penthouse in Manhattan. So, no. Not even kidding.”

“You know, Sebastian, when I say that Porcelain is lucky to have you, it’s not because of all of this.”  She gestured to the house and grounds around them.

Sebastian smiled and nodded, “I know.  Thanks, Coach.”

Carol had Sebastian go find Kurt while she grabbed Burt.  When they both returned to where she had been standing, she smiled, “I invited some guests who you haven’t seen in quite some time.”  Burt and Kurt both frowned a bit, not knowing who Carol could be talking about.  She grabbed Burt’s hand, and Sebastian put his hand on Kurt’s back, leading them inside where Kurt’s Uncle Andy and Aunt Mildred were waiting with large smiles.  

“Oh my gosh!”  Burt smiled, going in and giving Andy a big bear hug.  

Mildred smiled and gave Kurt a hug, “Look at how grown up you are!  I just can’t believe it!”

Andy smiled, “You look great, kid.  Congratulations on graduation!”

“Thank you!”  He turned toward Sebastian and reached for his hand, “This is my boyfriend, Sebastian.  Bas, this is my Uncle Andy and Aunt Mildred.”

Sebastian shook their hands, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

They continued to exchange pleasantries and Burt took them out back and got them some food and drinks, bringing extra chairs to their table, so they could join them.

Kurt pulled Carol aside and gave her a big hug, “Thank you, Carol.  I know this was just as much for Dad as was for me. I love you so much.”

Carol smiled, “I love you, too, Sweetie.  You are quite welcome.” 

Just as Robert was firing up the grill for another round of meats, Officer Miller and Officer Weston arrived.  They were off duty, and it took him a second to even place where he knew them from.  

“Officers!  I’m so glad you could make it!”

Officer Miller smiled, “Thank you so much for inviting us!  It was a nice surprise, for sure.”

Robert nodded, “Well, we’re happy to have you here any time. The boys will be leaving soon.  They graduate next weekend, then they’ll only be in town for about three weeks total after that.  Two before they take a trip, then one in between the trip and moving to New York. We wanted to make sure they had a proper party before they left us.  You two have played an important role in their lives this year.  You’ve seen enough of the bad...We wouldn’t want you to miss the good stuff.” 

They both smiled and nodded.  Officer Miller said, “Well, it’s nice to be included in the good stuff.  That doesn’t happen very often.”

Kurt saw they the two officers had arrived.  He excused himself from the group he was in. He made his way over and greeted them both with hugs.  “I’m so glad you made it! Can I get you anything to drink? Something to eat? You have to try some of Sugar’s sweets before you go.  Otherwise, you’ll have to travel to New York to get a taste.”

They accepted drinks and put some food on their plates.  Burt approached, offering for them to sit and chat with him.  They enjoyed their time talking with the adults, and watching the kids have fun.  

As Puck approached, Officer Miller turned, “Hey, Puck!  How are you?”

“I’m good, thanks!”

“Congratulations on graduation.  Excited about New York?”

“Oh yeah.  Very.  I brought you guys some cupcakes.  You’ll love them.”

Both officers loved the cupcakes and immediately regretted the fact that it was both the first and last time they would be having a Sugar Shack treat.

“So good!”  Officer Weston smiled with wide eyes.

“Thanks!”  Sugar smiled as she walked up from behind them.

“Sugar, these are amazing.”  

“Thanks.  Those are from the special batch I made for special people.  Thank you both for everything you’ve done for us. Especially Kurt and I.  You have both been wonderful.”

“You have.  I am so grateful,”  Kurt said. 

“Well, the four of you have restored our faith in the youth of today.  The world would be a lot better off if it had more people like you in it.  We wish you hadn’t needed us, but it was our pleasure to be the ones to be there when you did,”  Officer Miller smiled.

 

Everyone was having a great time and enjoying the party.  After dinner, the guests spread out a bit more. Some were inside, some were in the pool house, the gardens, the lounge chairs, or in the pool.  Kurt and Sebastian walked over to the swing in the Oak tree. They sat and watched their friends and family from a distance, while Celeste and Beau secretly watched them.

“Do you remember the first time we sat here, Babe?”  Sebastian put his arm around Kurt and pulled in closer.

Kurt put his head on Sebastian’s shoulder, “Yeah.  It was the day I met your family. The day after I said ‘yes’ to being your boyfriend.”  He lifted his head and looked at Sebastian, “Best decision I’ve ever made.” Sebastian cupped Kurt’s face with his free hand and they kissed for a few minutes, soft, slow, and loving.

“I love you so much, Baby.” 

Kurt grinned, “I love you, too.  Only you. Always you.”  They kissed once more, then Kurt returned his head to rest on Seb’s shoulder.  

After a few minutes, Sebastian gestured toward the party, “This is all because of you, Babe.”

Kurt frowned a bit, “What do you mean?”

“All of these people who have become friends and family.  I wouldn’t have any of them if it wasn’t for you.”

Kurt shook his head, “That’s not exactly true.  The Warblers and the soccer team are all you, Love.”

It was Sebastian’s turn to shake his head, “No.  If I had never met you, I would have been a member of the Warblers, and I would have joined the soccer team, but I doubt I would have made many friendships in either group.  Maybe Nick and Jeff, since Nick is my roommate and Jeff is...Well, Jeff.  But other than that… I don’t know.”

They were silent for a moment, then Kurt spoke, “I’m glad you decided to get your act together, Bas.  I’m proud of you.  It was brave of you to change into the person you wanted to be...The person you truly are.  Change is hard.  I am so grateful you've been brave enough and strong enough.”

Sebastian kissed Kurt on the head, “I chose to be a better version of myself, but it was you who gave me the strength and courage.  I wanted to be that person for you, too.  I would do anything for you.”

Kurt looked up at him and they kissed for a few minutes again.  Back at the house, Celeste turned to Beau with a knowing smile. “This is it, my love,”  Celeste smiled. 

Beau nodded, “Yes.  They were all right.  This is it.”  They had prayed this day would come.  A day when Sebastian was himself again, and surrounded by good people who loved and supported him.  And here they were, in the exact moment they had prayed for. They couldn’t be happier.

 

Once the sun set, they started a fire in the fire pit.  It was lovely. The house had accent lighting all around the outside, in the gardens, and in the pool.  Leah and Sam brought out the ingredients to make s’mores and some extra long disposable bamboo roasting sticks. 

Sebastian and Puck played guitar while Kurt sat back in one of the lounge chairs with Sugar leaning back against his chest.  He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight as they listened to their boyfriends play. “I love you, Sugar.”

She smiled softly and closed her eyes, “Love you too, Angel.”  

 

Trent grabbed Leah and Sam, and the three of them set up a giant inflatable movie screen on the edge of the gardens at the far side of the pool.  Sebastian looked over, “What are they doing?”

Kurt shook his head, “I don’t know.  Are we going to watch a movie?” He turned to Sebastian, “It’s like the ones they had at the Disney resorts.” 

A few minutes later, once the screen was inflated and the projector was set up, Artie and Trent placed themselves in front of it.  Artie whistled, “Can we have everyone’s attention please? We will begin the show in 5 minutes. Please grab a snack and/or drink, and make yourselves comfortable.”

“Show?”  Kurt was confused.

“I don’t know, Babe.  We’ll get some drinks and snacks.  Come on, Puck.” They got up and Sugar went to sit in the lounge chair next to Kurt.  

Leah went inside and announced that everyone should grab refreshments and come outside for the show. 5 minutes later, chairs were being shared, kids were in the pool and on floats, or sitting on the edge of the pool with their feet in the water.  Puck and Sebastian were sitting next to each other, with Sugar and Kurt sitting in front of them, leaning against their chests. All of the other couples occupied each of the other lounge chairs.  Tori had been playing photographer all day, just like always, but made sure to capture this special moment.

Trent clapped his hands together, “Okay everyone!  Artie and I have been keeping a secret for awhile.”

Kurt rolled his eyes and hit Finn, who was sitting next to them with Rachel, when he joked, “Are they gay too?”  Kurt could feel Sebastian chuckling.

Artie continued, “Thanks to Sebastian and Kurt, the Warblers and New Directions have become friends.”

Trent added, “And the soccer team and Cheerios are now part of that, as well.”

Artie continued, “Right.  Because we’ve gone through so much together in the last year, we thought we would celebrate that with a little montage that Trent and I have been working on for awhile now.  So many of our closest friends are seniors, and will be moving on to bigger and better things. We want you to know that you have helped shaped us into who we are, and you have inspired us to work hard for our dreams and have fun while doing it.  We love you all, and we hope that this will remind you that even though we’ve seen some really tough times, amazing things have happened, too.  If you want a copy of this, you can write your email on the paper we put on the kitchen island, and we will email you a copy.”  

The two boys moved out of the way of the screen and pressed play on the projector remote control.  An acoustic guitar medley started playing, and pictures started to slowly flash on the screen. It started, appropriately, with a picture of Kurt and Sebastian.  “Awwwe.” was heard throughout the crowd and the boys chuckled. Seb gave Kurt a little squeeze.

Pictures continued to fade from one to another… Finn in his football uniform.  Lucas and Bentley in their dorm room.  Quinn and Cameron at Prom. Rachel and Mercedes at a sleepover. Mike, Sam, and Puck sitting on the tailgate of his truck.  Kurt, Jeff, Leah, and Sugar in Sugar’s car.  Thad, Cameron, and Sebastian sitting on soccer balls in front of the goal netting. The pictures they had set up with the speech bubbles before Prom with Santana and Sebastian, and Brittany and Kurt.  Kurt working in his coveralls at his dad’s garage.  Sugar baking in her kitchen (That one got cheers from the Dalton boys. They were going to miss her treats so much). Jeff and Nick at the Dalton Ball.  Brittany dancing with Mike. Thad and Chris outside the limo for the ball. Kurt being lifted by Clay and Jack. Kurt and his “band” at Halloween. Jeff and Nick as zombies at Halloween. The Warblers at Nationals. The New Directions at Nationals.  The Cheerios at Nationals. One of Sugar kissing Kurt on the cheek. One of Puck kissing Kurt on the cheek. One of Sebastian kissing Kurt on the cheek (everyone was giggling by the third one). Clay and Avery holding hands in the hallway of school.  The soccer team photo. Kurt and Sebastian at Walt Disney World. Finn and Puck arm wrestling with their friends cheering them on. Sebastian coming out of the bathroom at Jungle Jim’s grocery store making a face.  Thad banging his gavel. Cameron scoring a goal during a game.  Rachel singing on stage.  Santana in her cheer uniform, leaning up against a locker....  

The pictures went on for at least 15 minutes, and there were even some videos mixed in.  Everyone laughed at the funny photos, ‘aww’ed at the cute ones, and cheered for the championship pictures.  When it was over, everyone cheered and clapped, including the adults.  

Artie and Trent returned to in front of the screen.  Trent said, “We hope this brings back all of the good memories that your senior year has brought you.  You have given us the gift of friendship. This video is our way of saying ‘thank you’.

Before the evening ended, Tori gathered everyone together outside and took a group photo.  As they tried to squeeze in, she was reminded of the fact that not long ago, there wouldn’t have been hardly anyone there in a picture like this.  Burt was thinking the same thing. Both families were so grateful for each other and the friendships that brought.

 

As things began to wind down, Leah and Celeste sat on one of the outdoor patio couches.  Celeste had her arm around her granddaughter, and Leah was resting her head on her grandmère’s shoulder.  Celeste spoke softly, “ _This has been pretty amazing._ ”

Leah hummed in agreement, “ _It’s been an amazing roller coaster this year.  Highest of highs. Lowest of lows._ ”  She sighed looking around at all the people there, “ _I’m going to miss them all so much._ ”

“ _Mmm, I know, Dear.  Just remember how lucky you’ve been to have them here this year._ ”  She paused, “ _What about Sam?  What are his plans?  Will he stay here this summer or next school year?”_

_“He’s going to Kentucky for two weeks in June to stay with his parents and visit with them and his brother and sister.  Then he’s coming back here, since he works at Burt’s garage. He’s staying with the Hummel’s again next year.”_

Celeste nodded, “ _Well that’s good.  That way you’ll still see him this summer.  He seems like a really nice boy, Leah.”_

_“He is, Grandmere.  He’s pretty amazing, actually.  He’s sweet, and funny. He’s gorgeous, obviously.  And you know about how he helped me with Mack.”_

Celeste smiled, _“Yes, he’s a special one, Leah.  I like him a lot.”_

 

Once the guests had gone home, the Smythe’s, Laurent’s, Hummel’s, and Motta’s all began to clean up.  With so many people helping, it didn’t take long at all.  The Hummels and Motta’s thanked the Smythe’s for hosting before they made their way home as well.  

Kurt decided to spend the night so he could get to know Sebastian’s grandparents a little better.  He thought he’d get to know them when they went to Paris, but Beau and Celeste said they were staying in the States for a month or two.  That meant they would only be in Paris at the same time as Kurt and Sebastian for about a week, if that, if they went back in a month.  He wanted to know them better before staying in their home for so long.  Burt agreed, but requested Kurt come home before lunch. He wanted time with his boy before they left this summer. It was all moving so quickly.  

 

Sebastian sat on one of the couches in the great room surrounded by Kurt and his family.  Kurt was curled up into Seb’s side, and Leah was sitting next to Kurt. He silently held out his arm and Leah crawled over and snuggled into him.  Tori looked over and noticed the smile on her mother’s face. She knew it all too well, since she often graced the identical knowing smile.

They sat and talked for awhile.  Leah told them all about her new school and some of her new friends there.  She was going to try to make a point of seeing them more over the summer since so many of her friends were seniors and moving away.  

Sebastian told them all about the final soccer game, and then his plans for Columbia and an internship he was hoping to get. He told them stories about being Nick’s roommate, and all about some of the other friends he had made.

Kurt told them about Parsons.  Celeste had Leah try on the dress for her the previous night, and told Kurt how beautiful she thought it was, and how she thought he was making the right decision.  They talked about Cheer Nationals, Show Choir Nationals, and about Ben’s plans for turning their story into a musical. Most of the conversation was spoken in French, which Kurt really enjoyed.  

When it was time for bed, everyone said goodnight and dragged themselves off to their bedrooms.  It had been a fantastic day, but it had been very tiring.  

 

Sebastian and Kurt decided to shower together.  They entered the bathroom in complete silence, and remained that way throughout the shower.  Sebastian washed Kurt’s hair, massaging as he went. He rinsed and then added the conditioner.  He pulled Kurt closer as he massaged his scalp. They stood chest to chest, with the top of Sebastian’s cheek against Kurt’s temple. Kurt put his hands on Sebastian’s sides and closed his eyes, concentrating on the touch of his Love.  Sebastian turned and pressed his lips to Kurt’s skin, kissing him as he massaged his scalp. After he rinsed his hair, he moved on to washing Kurt’s body, massaging as he went, paying attention to every curve, every muscle. He placed small, gentle, open mouth kisses every once in awhile, closing his eyes as he kissed, savoring the sensation.  When he finished, he stood and placed a soft kiss to Kurt’s lips.  

The roles were reversed, and Kurt washed and conditioned Sebastian’s hair, massaging as he went.  He washed his body, massaging his muscles and kissing every freckle he found. When he finished, he slid his hands under Sebastian’s arms at his waist, and up his back, resting them on his shoulder blades.  He placed a kiss on Seb’s chest, then turned his head, resting it where he could hear Sebastian’s heart beat. Sebastian wrapped his arms around Kurt, kissing the top of his head, rubbing gentle circles into his wet skin as they embraced.  

Sebastian pulled back a little, reaching for Kurt’s hand.  They silently stepped out of the shower, onto the rug. Seb grabbed a towel and dried Kurt off.  Kurt did the same.  

Sebastian leaned forward, cupping Kurt’s jaw with his right hand, his left on Kurt’s hip.  He placed a soft kiss on his cheek, then whispered in Kurt’s ear, “On your knees in 5 minutes.”

Kurt eyes darkened as he whispered a breathy reply, “Yes, Sir.”  Sebastian left the room, and Kurt brushed his teeth and dried his hair before kneeling.

When Seb returned, he locked the door, then walked over to Kurt, throwing his towel in the hamper on his way.  He ran his fingers through Kurt’s hair and spoke softly, “Thank you, Baby. You are so gorgeous. Especially like this.”  A warmth spread through Kurt’s chest. “Look at me, Baby.”

Kurt looked up into Sebastian’s eyes.  His heart fluttered at the sight.  He took a deep breath and soaked in the moment of kneeling before this gorgeous man.  Tears welled in his eyes at the overwhelming love he felt.   

Kurt was breathtaking.  Sebastian looked into his beautiful eyes, and the world disappeared around them. He fell to his knees with tears in his eyes.  He held Kurt’s face in his hands and kissed him with so much passion that tears fell from both boys.  

They spent the rest of the night worshiping each other’s bodies.  Entangled limbs, needy hands, and quiet moans of ecstasy encompassed their night until sleep won and they drifted off while in each other’s arms.

 

……………

 

Graduation day was upon them.  It had been one week since the party.  Their days were spent studying, taking final exams, and spending time with their friends.  It had become difficult at Dalton to not think of things by numbers...Two more lunches with friends.  One more lunch with friends. Last lunch with friends. And now, their time was up. Dorm rooms were packed, some even empty.  Families were arriving on campus. It was all so different than what the boys were used to. It had a real finality vibe that was both gratifying and unnerving. 

The Smythe’s and Hummel’s had spent the morning at William McKinley’s graduation.  It had been an odd feeling for Kurt to watch and not participate. He was happy for his friends, finally graduating and being able to move on with their lives.  With graduation, came choices.  They could stay in Lima and build a life, or leave Lima and build a life.  The joy of that choice was exciting to watch. But now, as they arrived back at Dalton, it was their turn. 

“You did it, Bud.  I’m so proud of you.”  Burt hugged Kurt as they waited to go into the auditorium for the ceremony.  

“Thanks, Dad.  It feels good.”

Sebastian went up to Kurt and put his hand on the small of his back, “They’re calling for us, Babe.”

“Okay.”  He turned toward his Dad, “Thanks for always supporting me, Dad.  I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Burt smiled, “I love you, Bud.”

Kurt hugged him quick, “I love you, too.”

The boys made it back to commons area, where all of the seniors were asked to gather.  Graduating classes were not particularly large at Dalton. It was one of the bonuses of such an exclusive boarding school.  

“This is it, Babe.  Are you excited?” Sebastian said as he straightened Kurt’s cap.

Kurt smiled, “Bas, I have been dreaming of this day for as long as I can remember.  Tonight, we’ll be able to call ourselves high school graduates, and we can move on with our lives, and our choices.”

“I’m proud of you, Kurt.”  Sebastian said as Kurt fiddled with the zipper of his robe.

He stopped and looked at Sebastian, a small smile gracing his lips, “Thank you.  I’m proud of you too, Mr. Valedictorian.”  

Sebastian smiled, “Thank you, Baby.”

Each student was allotted six tickets for guests to attend the ceremony.  It worked out perfectly. Kurt’s guests included his Dad, Carol, Finn, Sam, Puck, and Sugar.  Sebastian’s guests included his parents, grandparents, Leah, and as an added bonus, they invited Cassius to use their extra ticket.  Kurt thought that was beyond sweet.

Students sat in the front of the auditorium.  The Warblers stood on the stage and performed ‘ _Found/Tonight_ ’ like they had at Nationals, as well as Dalton’s Fight Song.  There was once again a thunderous applause.  Headmaster Larson gave a speech about Dalton and the students that attend the school.  One of the schools most successful alumni gave a speech encouraging graduates to work hard for what they want in life. And then, it was Sebastian’s turn.  

Headmaster Larson spoke to the audience, “Tonight, in a time honored tradition, we welcome to the podium our Valedictorian. Representing the Class of 2019, Sebastian Smythe.”

The audience applauded, but none louder than Sebastian and Kurt’s families.  Sebastian made his way to the podium and began his speech. Kurt was in awe as he watched his Love.

“Nearly ten months ago, I walked through the doors of Dalton Academy for the first time.  It was grande and intimidating.  Quite frankly, it was exactly what I was used to in all appearances.  What I was not used to, and soon came to be eternally grateful for, where the people inside the building.  What makes a school what it is, is not the building itself, but the people in it.  It’s the ‘hello’, ‘good morning’, and the genuine ‘how are you?'.  It’s the student in your French class who offers to share his notes when you break your hand and cannot do it yourself.  It’s the teacher who is excited for you when you get an A.  It’s the teacher who encourages you when you don’t.  It’s the cafeteria workers who give you the stink eye when you don’t choose any vegetables with your lunch or dinner.  It’s the gaming parties and movie nights in the student commons.  It’s going into a competition, no matter what kind, and knowing that your teammates have your back, no matter what.  It’s knowing that this is a safe place, no matter what race, religion, or sexual preferences you may have. The men of Dalton Academy stand together.  They support, encourage, protect, and defend each other.  We have learned this year just how incredibly important that is.  The friendships made within the walls of this grand building will last a lifetime.  Years from now, when I’m a doctor in New York City, married to my fashion designer husband, raising our beautiful children together, we will look back on our days at Dalton Academy with smiles on our faces.  It’s been a place of growth, refuge, and community.  So I say to you, Class of 2019, take these memories, these friendships, and go out into the world full of the power that gives you.  Make mistakes, take a chance, but make a change, and make a difference.  You have the solid building blocks you need for the perfect life you’ve always wanted. Now go out and get it.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is... What did you think? If you enjoyed my story, please watch for Part 2 (their trip to Paris) coming very soon. Part 3 (New York) will be shortly after that. You may want to bookmark the series, so you don't miss it!


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